NBCC to build 225 road projects in Maoist-hit Koraput dist

The NBCC will complete execution of 225 road projects covering over 1,100 km under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in Maoist-hit areas of Koraput district in the current financial year, an official said.

The road projects remained a non-starter for several years due to Maoist activities, DGM Rakesh Narayan Sinha said.

"We are to execute about 255 rural road projects under PMGSY in the district and have completed 24 projects till date. The remaining projects are at various stages of

completion. We are hopeful of completing those prior to March 31, 2019," he said.

"Though all our road projects are in Maoist-hit blocks like Narayanpatna, Bandhugaon, Boipariguda, Lamataput, Nandapur and Laxmipur in the district, we are committed to

work irrespective of geographical barriers and prevailing law and order situations," he told reporters Friday.

Koraput Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy said connectivity remained a major hindrance for development of the district. If the PMGSY projects and 29 bridges undertaken

by NBCC are completed within the next four months, it would go a long way in facilitating development activities in interior areas.

Besides Koraput, the NBCC has undertaken PMGSY work with an estimated cost of Rs 1269 crore in Maoist-hit Sundergarh, Nuapada, Rayagada, Kalahandi and Kandhamal districts of the state, its Project Manager Dhruv Yadav said.

(With inputs from agencies.)