After reducing the deadline for completion of rural roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) by three years from 2022 to 2019, the Centre has set a challenging target for the state. As 12,443 habitations of Odisha are yet to have all-weather road connectivity, the state government has been given a target to construct 6,200 km of road connecting to 2,050 habitations under the flagship rural infrastructure programme in the current financial year. This is nearly double the state´s target. While making a provision of Rs.2,300 crore in the annual budget for 2016-17, the state government has planned to construct 3,200 km of roads.
In a bid to accelerate momentum of road construction, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has decided to provide financial incentives to those states which will perform exceptionally well.