The Centre today suggested to the Odisha government to enhance its rural road construction target under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to 10,000 km from 7,000 km during the current fiscal.
Union Secretary to Rural Development Minister Amarjit Sinha made the suggestions to the state after attending a high level review meeting held under the chairmanship of Odisha Chief Secretary A P Padhi.
Though the state government had earlier set a target to construct 7,000 km roads during this fiscal, Sinha said the target should be revised in the wake of good progress in the implementation of the PMGSY.
Meanwhile, Padhi directed the state's RD department to submit the balance DPRs against all feasible projects within 15 days.
Odisha's RD secretary B P Sethi during the discussion drew the attention of Union Secretary to the pending 265 DPRs. Sinha has assured to communicate the sanction order soon, Sethi said.
So far, Sethi said, around 42,058 km of road have been completed connecting 13,063 habitations under PMGSY. The field level work is going on in full swing for completion of another 14,800 km of road that will connect 3,492 habitations more.
Sethi appraised that these projects would be completed by March, 2019. PMGSY is being implemented with fund support from both the Central and state government on 60:40 basis.
It was decided in the meeting that the DPRs for connecting 92 habitations in Malkangiri district would be submitted for approval after completion of the Gurupriya Bridge which was targeted to be completed by March, 2018.
Sethi said against this year's target of 7,000 km of road connecting 2,800 habitations, the state so far completed more than 2,100 km.
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