Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday directed the concerned authorities to include the remaining nine panchayats of Chittarakonda block – Andrapalli, Panasput, Jodambo, Raligada, Papermetal, Badpada, Ghazalmamundi, Jantri, and Dhuliput – and Nakamamudi panchayats of Korukunda block in the SETU Yojana SETU (Socio-Economic Transformation and Upliftment scheme) to enable rapid transformation in the underprivileged areas under the bridge scheme. Along with this, he also ordered to raise the cost limit of the SETU Yojana from Rs 50 crore to Rs 100 crore.
Nine remote panchayats of Chitrakonda block, which is known as Swaviman Anchal, have already been connected by Gurpriya Bridge. The SETU (Socio-Economic Transformation and Upliftment) plan has been implemented since 2018 for the social and economic development of the people of this underdeveloped region. On March 28, 2023, 5T Secretary VK Pandian and other senior officials visited the Chitrakonda block of Malkangari and discussed the demands and problems of the people in the region.
Apart from this, the Chief Minister has approved Rs 9.60 crore for the SETU Yojana for the improvement and expansion of the infrastructure of the paramilitary forces deployed in the region to maintain peace and law and order in the Swaviman Anchal.