Odisha would have over 900 km of new National Highways (NHs) by 2017-18. This was stated at a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat on Wednesday.

Of the 900 km of new NHs which would be built at a cost of `3,555 crore, construction of 423.90 km would be made under NH Plan, 136.28 km under National Highway Development Project (NHDP), 184 km under National Highways Interconnectivity Improvement Project (NHIIP) and 157 km under leftwing Extremism (lWE) project.

While construction of Nabarangpur-Kokasara (55 km), Nuapada-Bangomunda (68 km) and Bhojapura-Chhatabara (61 km) roads would be taken up under the flagship programme of the NH, to be aided by the World Bank, construction of Kanakatora-Jharsuguda (68 km) and Pallahara-Pitri Junction (68 km) NH would be made under NHDP.

Besides, construction of Jeypore-Kota-Malkangiri (86 km) and Koraput-laxmipur-Rayagada (71 km) NH would be undertaken under lWE project.

It was decided at the meeting that the State Government would submit a proposal to the Centre for conversion of Chhatrapur-Satapada (70 km) and Konark-Astaranga-Nuagan-Paradip-Basudevpur-Chandipur-Chandaneswar-Digha (430 km) State Highways to NHs under the Bharatmala Yojana.

It was also stated that plans have been made for construction of 258 km of NH having 10-metre width at a cost of `653 crore in 2015-16. Besides, double laning of 358-km of NH and construction of 38 bridges are underway.

The Chief Minister asked the Chief Secretary to conduct review meetings to solve problems relating to construction of NHs. He also directed the Revenue Secretary to review matters pertaining to land acquisition for construction of NHs at regular intervals.