BHUBANESWAR: The state government has set a target to construct 8,500 km of all-weather rural roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-IV (PMGSY-IV) and 200 bridges under Setu Bandhan Yojana in the current financial year, informed Rural Development minister Rabi Narayan Naik on Wednesday.
Speaking to mediapersons, Naik said the government has sufficient funds for the rural road project and the priority is to connect all habitations with all-weather roads. "The state government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 1,700 crore for PMGSY road, Rs 200 crore for maintenance of roads and bridges under the central scheme, Rs 3,470 crore for Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana and Rs 2,000 crore for construction of bridges under Setu Bandhan Yojana," he added.
The minister further informed that the Centre has given the flexibility under PMGSY-IV to provide pucca roads to habitations with less than 100 population but situated 100-150 metre away from the revenue villages covered under the scheme.
"The state has now embarked on the fourth phase of PMGSY, targeting connectivity for tribal areas, aspirational blocks and Naxal-affected regions. The Rural Development department has collected data about the number of habitations to be covered under the PM-Janman Yojana in which it has two activities - providing pucca houses and connecting the tribal hamlets with 100 population, with pucca roads," Naik said.
He underlined that the focus of the PMGSY-IV was to provide connectivity for all left-out villages and habitations located in interior and difficult terrains. "Many of these villages do not have permanent roads as they are cut off by streams and nullahs. The government has taken these factors into account and has sanctioned funds for construction of bridges under Setu Bandhan Yojana," the minister said.
He further added that the government has made a firm commitment to construct 30,000 km of rural roads and 500 bridges by 2028-29, the end of the PMGSY-IV programme.
The Centre launched the PMGSY-IV last year with an outlay of Rs 70,125 crore for construction of 62,500 km of all-weather roads to provide all-weather connectivity to 25,000 unconnected habitations by 2028-29.