BHUBANESWAR: The Centre has sanctioned Rs 977 crore under Central Road Fund (CRF) for improvement of state roads during the current financial year. The state government has utilised Rs 614 crore by developing 314 km of State Highways (SHs).
This was informed to Lok Sabha by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in response to a question from BJP MP from Sundargarh Jual Oram.
In January this year, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had requested Gadkari for approval of project proposals worth Rs 1,261.98 crore under CRF for the state.
Of 30 proposals submitted by the State, 29 relate to widening and strengthening of roads and one pertains to the construction of high-level bridge over Subarnarekha river at Haladipada (NH-16).
The Chief Minister had written a letter to Gadkari mentioning that no project has been sanctioned during the last year as well as the current year under the CRF for Odisha.Responding to another question from Oram, the Union Minister said the Ministry has made an allocation of Rs 500 crore for development of NHs under external assistance.
The state government has so far utilised Rs 481 crore by completing construction of 175 km length of road, he added.