PHULBANI : Development works in tribal-dominated Kandhamal have come to a standstill due to non-functioning of the district planning committee (DPC), resulting in a complete halt to project approvals and utilisation of funds under a key infrastructure scheme.
The Biju Kandhamal O Gajapati Yojana (BKGY), launched in 2009–10 to accelerate infrastructure development in Kandhamal and Gajapati, was later renamed Kandhamal O Gajapati Bikas Yojana after a change in the government. The scheme focuses on roads, bridges, electricity, drinking water, and livelihood generation in remote and economically backward areas.
Officials said the DPC, which is mandatory for planning and approving projects under the scheme, functioned during the previous BJD regime but has remained defunct since 2024. In the absence of the committee, no new projects have been approved, and funds under the scheme have been put on hold.
Chief development officer (CDO) Shambunath Nandi said Kandhamal receives an annual allocation of `18 crore under the scheme. From 2009–10 to 2023–24, approximately `270 crore was allocated over 15 years. However, the district did not receive any allocation for the financial years 2024–25 and 2025–26. He also informed that funds released in previous years could not be utilised without the approval of a functional DPC.
The prolonged suspension of the scheme has raised concerns among residents, particularly in interior areas where urgent needs for basic infrastructure such as roads, bridges and safe drinking water remain unfulfilled.
District BJD president Padmanabha Behera demanded immediate constitution of the DPC and release of pending grants. If the state government fails to address the issue at the earliest, the BJD would launch a mass agitation, he warned.