Odisha seeks inclusion of 4035 villages under PMGSY

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the inclusion of 4035 left out villages under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

Patnaik, in a letter to the Prime Minister, requested to advice Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to approve the proposal of the state government to include 4035 left out habitations at an early date.

“I would request you to advise the MoRD kindly, Government of India to approve the proposal of the state government to include 4035 left out habitations at an early date,” said Patnaik in the letter.

He said the state government had earlier reported that 4035 unconnected habitations had been left out from the Core Network of roads prepared for PMGSY during 2001-02.

Accordingly, the Union Cabinet in its meeting in February 2013 has approved the revision of Core Network to include the 4035 left out habitations, he added.

He said the state government, in the meantime, has also submitted the detailed information for the said unconnected habitations to NRRDA, New Delhi under MoRD, for approval.

The MoRD have now asked the state to submit DPRs of all eligible unconnected habitations for sanction under PMGSY during current financial year and next financial year.

“Unless the MoRD approves the proposal of state government to include the 4035 left out unconnected habitations, the DPRs for the said projects cannot be prepared, and these habitations will be deprived of getting the benefit under PMGSY,” said the Chief Minister.