Bhubaneswar: The 37th State-level Standing Committee meeting on the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in Odisha was held at the Lok Seva Bhavan under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja. The meeting reviewed the progress of rural road and bridge projects constructed under the PMGSY scheme in Odisha.
According to officials, a total of 17,560 roads with a length of 70,692.63 km and 637 bridges have been constructed under the scheme, connecting 16,997 public settlements. The meeting also reviewed the progress of work in the last three years and the current year.
The Chief Secretary emphasized the importance of constructing quality roads and bridges and completing projects as per set targets. He also interacted with departmental engineers about the use of technology to check the quality of construction.
The meeting discussed the PMGSY-4 program, which aims to provide rural road connectivity to 1,629 settlements. The program includes settlements with a population of more than 500, Schedule V Tribes areas with a population of more than 250, and aspirational blocks. The construction of 1,103 roads to connect 1,172 settlements in eight districts was approved and presented in the meeting for sending proposals to the Government of India.
The meeting also reviewed the Bridge and Bridge Construction (BCB) system, which is being implemented with both bridges and water conservation objectives. So far, nine projects have been completed, and 18 projects are under construction.
The Chief Secretary encouraged the department to continue their good work, especially in connecting public settlements with long roads using green technology. The meeting was attended by senior officers and top engineers of various departments.
