Odisha to build 300 bridges, improve 6,500 km roads this year: Naveen

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has planned to improve 6,500 km of roads and construct around 300 bridges in the state this year to boost economic growth.

This was revealed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during the inauguration of the 4-laning of Kamakhya Nagar-Duburi Section of NH-53. The 51-km stretch has been constructed at a cost of Rs 761 crore which will connect the coal belt of Talcher to the steel hub at Kalinga Nagar in Jajpur.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Patnaik also laid foundation stone for widening, and strengthening of Moter-Banner road via Ladugaon in Kalahandi district of Odisha on the occasion.

“New Odisha is a unique transformation story setting benchmarks across various sectors,” said Patnaik while speaking on the occasion.

Welcoming the Union Home Minister, the Chief Minister said, “My government believes that connectivity is key to progress of the state and empowerment of our people.”

Citing example of Gurupriya bridge connecting the Swabhiman anchal in Malkangiri, he said that the construction of this bridge has played a catalytic role in the development of the entire area.

Further he said that the Biju Express Way – an economic corridor connecting western Odisha with southern Odisha- will be a crucial platform to propel growth in the region.

The budget of state Works department has seen a quantum jump since 2000, from about Rs 280 crore to more than Rs 15,000 crore now, he added.

He further said that in recent years, we have completed two airports at Jeypore and Utkela and a greenfield airport at Malkangiri is under construction.  Saying that Odisha always believes in cooperative federalism, he thanked the Centre for its support to the state in its developmental agenda.

Praising Chief Minister Patnaik and Odisha government, the Home Minister said that the state has achieved almost zero casualty in disaster management. Odisha’s model of disaster management has played a key role in national disaster management, he added. He also appreciated the role of state government in reducing Naxal menace in Odisha.

Speaking on the Occasion, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the Centre taken a focused approach to eastern states in the form of Prime Minister’s Purbodaya vision. Odisha has received significant amounts from centre for various projects.

State Works Minister Prafulla mallick outlined the infrastructure projects the state has taken up in the last 23 years. He highlighted the completion of a portion of Biju Express Way from Rourkela to Ampani that would play a key role in economic transformation of the area.

Chief Secretary PK Jena gave the welcome address and a NHAI official proposed the vote of thanks.