The Orissa government has completed work on 250 bridge projects and 129 road projects under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) provided by the National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (Nabard).
“Nabard has granted a total of Rs 956 crore for 479 projects including 332 bridge projects and 147 road projects since the inception of RIDF in 1995-96. The state government has commissioned 379 out of 479 projects. We are currently in the process of executing 93 projects which includes 76 bridge projects and 17 road projects", said Bikram Arukh, minister for law & rural development after a review meeting on the status of RIDF projects in the state.
However, Nabard is yet to sanction any amount for 2011-12.
In toto, Nabard has disbursed Rs 2872 crore of loan to the Orissa government under RIDF in different sectors.
The sanctioned amount is for undertaking 947 projects in the roads and bridges segment, one drinking water supply system project, 1162 projects in the animal husbandry segment, 114304 projects in the irrigation sector, nine passenger jetties and 27 other projects.
Out of 116450 projects, 68144 projects have been completed (as on December 27, 2010).
Rural connectivity projects (roads- 24 per cent and bridges- 30 per cent) account for 54 per cent of the sanction and thus constitute the major component under RIDF. Irrigation sector accounted for 44 per cent of total sanction under RIDF.
Under diversification programme during 2007-08 and 2008-09, projects have been sanctioned to fisheries department for construction of fish landing centres, to animal husbandry department for construction of veterinary dispensaries and livestock aid centres and to irrigation department for supply of drinking water in rural areas of various districts of the state.
Other non-traditional and innovative projects sanctioned recently under RIDF include rural markets at Dhamara and Orissa Biological Product Institute at Khurda during 2009-10 under 15th tranche of RIDF.
In 2010-11, Nabard has sanctioned Rs 710.40 crore under the 16th tranche for execution of 593 projects. This includes 89 projects in the irrigation sector worth Rs 252.98 crore, 51 projects in the roads and bridges segment to be taken up at cost of Rs 421 crore and 453 other projects including tube wells, bore wells, dug wells and river lifts entailing a cost of Rs 36.42 crore.
