Odisha Accelerates Rural Connectivity: State Reviews PMGSY Progress and Approves New Projects

Bhubaneswar: Reaffirming its commitment to rural infrastructure development, the Government of Odisha conducted the 37th State-level Standing Committee meeting on the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) at Lok Seva Bhavan. Chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, the meeting brought together senior officials and engineers to evaluate the pace and quality of road and bridge construction under the centrally sponsored scheme.

During the session, officials reported that Odisha has so far completed the construction of 17,560 roads spanning over 70,692 kilometres, along with 637 bridges, ensuring connectivity to 16,997 rural habitations. The meeting also reviewed the performance of the last three years and assessed progress made in the ongoing financial year.

Emphasizing the importance of timely and quality construction, Chief Secretary Ahuja urged engineers to integrate technology-based monitoring systems for better quality assurance and sustainable development. He called for strict adherence to deadlines and reinforced the state’s focus on creating durable infrastructure in remote areas.

The committee also reviewed the state’s roadmap for PMGSY-IV, which aims to connect an additional 1,629 unconnected habitations, particularly in tribal-dominated and aspirational districts. A proposal was approved for constructing 1,103 roads to link 1,172 habitations across eight districts, which will now be submitted to the central government for final approval.

Progress under the innovative Bridge and Bridge Construction (BCB) system was also examined. Designed to address both transportation and water conservation needs, the BCB initiative has completed nine projects to date, with 18 more currently underway.

Appreciating the department’s efforts, the Chief Secretary encouraged the continued use of green technology in long-road connectivity projects and highlighted the importance of improving last-mile connectivity to drive inclusive growth.