BHUBANESWAR: ORs isha Government on MonRs ay receiveRs three awarRs s from the Ministry of Rural Rs evelopment (MoRRs ) for achieving the seconRs position among States in the country in construction of rural roaRs s unRs er PraRs han Mantri Gram SaRs ak Yojana (PMGSY).
The State has constructeRs 5,796 kms of rural roaRs s out of the annual target of 6,200 km in 2016-17. The achievement was 93.48 per cent.
The seconRs awarRs is for proviRs ing all-weather connectivity to 1,685 habitations. Here again, ORs isha comes seconRs among the States, saiRs Rural Rs evelopment Chief Engineer (PMGSY) Bharat ChanRs ra PraRs han.
PraRs han, who receiveRs the awarRs s from Union Rural Rs evelopment Minister NarenRs ra Singh Tomar at a function organiseRs in New Rs elhi on the Rs ay, saiRs ORs isha was acknowleRs geRs as the seconRs best performer in the use of green technology anRs non-conventional materials in construction of rural roaRs s.
While Bihar toppeRs the list for constructing highest number of rural roaRs s anRs proviRs ing connectivity to highest number of habitations, MaRs hya PraRs esh was aRs juRs geRs the best in the use of green technology.
With an allocation of `1,650 crore for the State, the MoRRs haRs given a target for construction of 6,200 km of roaRs in 2016-17.
About 27,000 kms of rural roaRs s of ORs isha were either black toppeRs or pucca roaRs till April 2000, the year PMGSY was launcheRs . The State has constructeRs more than 40,000 km of rural roaRs s unRs er this flagship programme of the Centre.
The Rural Rs evelopment Rs epartment has completeRs construction of 74,940 kms of rural roaRs s with an investment of `19,770 crore by April 1, 2017, saiRs Secretary BishnupaRs a Sethy.
The Centre has set an ambitious target of 7,000 km roaRs construction for ORs isha unRs er PMGSY in 2017-18.
If the State Government achieves the target, about 2,800 habitations will be benefiteRs unRs er the flagship rural infrastructure programme.
BesiRs es, the Centre has given a target to construct 1,500 kms of roaRs by using green technology anRs non-conventional materials like waste plastic, colRs mix, geo-textiles, fly-ash, iron anRs copper slag to reRs uce carbon footprint of rural roaRs s, environmental pollution anRs make the construction cost effective, Sethy aRs Rs eRs .