Ministers have given conflicting data on the number of villages in Odisha. While Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Pardip Maharathy said there are 47,675 villages in the State, Rural Development Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh said that the total number of villages is 50,188.
They said this while replying to separate questions in the Assembly by Dilip Ray (BJP) on Tuesday.
Arukh told that of the total 50,188 villagers, 29,109 villages had no roads when the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was implemented in the State. It means that 21,079 villages were connected by roads. Of the unconnected villages, 18,176 were eligible under the PMGSY, said the Minister. The Minister, however, informed that though the Centre has approved for roads to unconnected 16,555 villages, he did not reveal what plans are there to provide road connectivity to the rest 1,621 villages. Arukh said that all eligible villages would be connected with PMGSY roads by 2019.
Similarly on another question of Ray, Panchayati Raj Minister Pradip Maharathy said that there are 47,675 villages, 6,801 Panchayats and 314 Panchayat Samitis in the State. He said that piped water is available in 39,668 villages while in 8007 villages drinking water is sourced from tube-wells and wells. These villages would be provided piped water facility in phased manner, Maharathy informed.