VIZIANAGARAM: Recognising inclusion of rural connectivity as one of the permissible categories of works under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Parvathipuram laid down 30 roads at a cost of `15.20 crore in tribal areas under NREGA.
About 154 road works were started in tribal areas last year. Around 35,000 tribals are expected to be benefited when all scheduled road works are completed in the district. The Union government has sanctioned `52.14 crore for the development of 162 roads in the tribal villages of Parvathipuram division in the district. About 24 roads would be constructed in Gummalakshmipuram mandal while Kurupam, Saluru, Pachipenta mandals will have 24, 28 and 21 roads constructed respectively.
About 18 roads would be contructed in Komarada mandal while about 12, 13 and 13 roads will be laid in Jiyyammavalasa, Parvathipuram, and Makkuva mandals respectively. ITDA built roads connecting Goipaka village a border village, to weekly markets, where tribal buy essential commodities.
ITDA project officer G Suvarna Panda Das told Express that more roads would be laid at a cost of `10 crore. Medical and health department officials and teachers were unable to attend to their duties in tribal areas due to lack of roadconnectivity, he said. Bad road connectivity had resulted in many tribals, in need of emergency medical treatment, dying.