Govt targets ₹921 cr road network in LWE areas

In a bid to build top-class road network in Left Wing Extremist (LWE) affected areas, the government is all set start the construction of the road at an investment of ₹921.86 crore, said Works Secretary Nalini Kanta Pradhan, adding that to start the work the department has sent a list of 99 road connectivity projects to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). There will be 97 roads and two bridge projects in the Road Requirement Plan (RRP) II and III, which are implemented in the Maoist affected districts like Malakangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Balangir, Bargarh, Deogarh, Sambalpur and Boudh. The two worst Maoist affected districts such as Malkangiri and Koraput will have a lion’s share in the RRP-II. In addition, Malkangiri will have 12 road connectivity projects with a length of 142 km at an estimated cost of ₹179.77 crore and Koraput will have 15 such projects with a cost of ₹63.98 crore. Other 10 Maoist hit districts will have 72 projects having total road length is 594.22 km at an estimated cost of ₹678.11 crore in RRP III. While Rayagada will have seven, Kalahandi 10, Kandhamal, nine, Nuapada, six, Balangir, 11, Bargarh, four, Deogarh, seven, Sambalpur, seven, Boudh, four and Nabarangpur will have seven projects.