BHUBANESWAR : The state government has set an ambitious target to provide all-weather road connectivity to all villages with a population of 150 by 2027, Rural Development minister Rabi Narayan Naik said on Wednesday.
Chairing a review meeting of the Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water departments, Naik directed officials to ensure 100 per cent utilisation of the allocated budget within the next three months. The instruction came after an assessment of budget expenditure and the progress of rural road construction works.
The minister told mediapersons after the meeting that the state has planned to construct more than 75,000 rural roads by 2027. Of these, over 30,000 have already been completed, particularly providing all-weather access to remote habitations. The remaining road works are expected to be taken up and completed in a phased manner within the defined time-frame.
The minister emphasised timely utilisation of funds to meet the government’s connectivity goals and warned that delays in execution would not be tolerated. Officials were asked to strictly adhere to timelines and ensure that all ongoing and approved projects are completed within the stipulated period.
He also stressed the importance of quality construction, proper monitoring and coordination between field-level engineers and district administrations to avoid cost overruns and ensure durability of assets.
The state has set a target to build 8,500 km all-weather rural roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-IV (PMGSY-IV) and 200 bridges under Setu Bandhan Yojana in 2025-26. The minister said the state government has sufficient funds for the rural road projects and the priority is to connect all habitations with all-weather roads.
The government has made a budgetary provisions of Rs 1,700 crore for PMGSY, Rs 200 crore for maintenance, Rs 3,470 crore for Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana and Rs 2,000 crore for bridges.
In the fourth phase, 942 roads and eight bridges are taken up for construction to connect 1,021 unconnected habitations in tribal-dominated regions, Naxalite-affected areas and aspirational blocks.