Odisha tops in country in the construction of rural roads

Odisha has topped among all the states in the country in constructing rural roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in the 2017-18 financial year.

Odisha has constructed 7,176km of road which is comparatively much higher than its previous year records, the state government said in a press release on Friday.

Under the Pradhan Manti Gram Sadak Yojana, the state has been consistently performing well. In 2016-17, Odisha constructed 5,797km roads and stood second at all-India level. But in 2017-18, the state has constructed 7,167km of roads and stood first at national level.

The state has been able to connect 1,776 unconnected villages by constructing roads under the PMGSY. The state has also been ranked second in the country in green road technology by constructing 855km road in rural areas using this technology.

As per the press release issued by the state government, Union minister for panchayati raj and rural development Narendra Singh Tomar and Union minister of state for rural development Ram Kripal Yadav awarded Odisha government officials for this outstanding achievement.

In another development, the government of India has approved a proposal to construct 496 bridges to connect 19,842 habitats. More than 60,594km of roads will be connected through the bridges. About Rs 25,602.46 crore will be spent for this purpose.

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