The worst insurgency infested districts of Chhattisgarh would be able to further provide a boost to rural road connectivity work with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approving a Centrally-sponsored scheme, namely, "Road Connectivity Project for left Wing Extremism (lWE)-Affected Areas".
The project is aimed at improving the rural road connectivity in the worst lWE affected districts from security angle, officials informed.
The project will be implemented as a vertical under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to provide connectivity with necessary culverts and cross-drainage structures in 44 worst affected lWE districts and adjoining districts in the country, critical from security and communication point of view. The roads will be operable throughout the year irrespective of all weather conditions.
Under the project, construction/upgradation of 5,411.81 km road and 126 bridges/Cross Drainage works will be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs11,724.53 crore in the above district.
The fund sharing pattern of lWE road project will be same as that of PMGSY i.e. in the ratio of 60:40 between the Centre and States for all States except for eight North Eastern and three Himalayan States (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand) for which it is 90:10.
The Union Ministry of Finance will have to allocate to Union Ministry of Rural Development Rs7,034.72 crore for this project during the period of implementation 2016-17 to 2019-20.
The Union Ministry of Rural Development will be the sponsoring Ministry as well as the implementing Ministry of this project. The likely duration of implementation of the project is four years from 2016-17 to 2019-20.
The "Road Connectivity Project for lWE Affected Areas" is envisaged in lWE States including the 35 worst affected lWE districts which account for 90% of total lWE violence in the country and 9 adjoining districts critical from security angle as per the inputs and lists of roads / districts provided by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
The roads taken up under the scheme would include Other District Roads (ODRs), Village Roads (VRs) and upgradation of the existing Major District Roads (MDRs) that are critical from the security point of view. Bridges up to a span of 100 meters, critical from security angle would also be funded on these roads.
Notably, a total of 16 construction works of 698 kms of roads in left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected areas are under construction in Chhattisgarh, officials informed.
The input cost of these roads is Rs928 crore . Roads up to a length of 435 kms had already been laid in the insurgency infested districts, they informed.
A total of 5894 kilometers of roads will be laid, 223 buildings will be constructed and 144 bridges and railway overhead bridges will be built in the entire State during the next 18 months, they informed.
Roads measuring up to 1322 kilometers had been laid, construction of 49 buildings and 23 bridges had been completed till date.
The Government is also targetting to lay 1526 kilometers of State Highways roads worth Rs10,171 crore till March 2018.
Twenty-eight developmental works relating to the roads had already been sanctioned. Roads measuring up to 253 kilometers had already been laid till date.
Eighteen developmental works relating to laying of roads worth Rs1965 crore with the financial aid of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had already been in the pipeline.
There is a proposal to construct 233 State Government buildings with a sanctioned of Rs 1349 crore.
Forty-nine buildings had already been constructed. Bridges and railway over-bridges (144) worth Rs1050 crore had been sanctioned. Twenty-three bridges had been completed by now.
Chief Minister Raman Singh had recently asked the Chhattisgarh Road Development Corporation (CGRDC) officials to lay a network of 808 kilometers roads at a cost of Rs2179 crore in another 18 months time.
He directed officials to complete the laying of roads by May 2018, officials informed.
The Chief Minister also laid stress on completing the rural road connectivity projects so that the villagers can have smooth all-weather transport in the years to come.
Singh was reviewing the road development projects recently at the Mantralaya in Naya Raipur.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister ordered the inclusion of Dhamdha- Gandai- Salhetekri in Rajnandgaon district in the ongoing roads' network project. The 39-kilometer road will be laid at a cost of Rs120 crore.
The officers gave a detailed presentation of the roads project being laid in the State.
Singh also called upon the senior officers to complete all the road projects by May 2018. The projects include Sakri-Ganiyari-Kota at a cost of Rs73 crore (21.8 km) , Janjgir-Pamgarh roads at a cost of Rs 64 crore, Selood-Ranitarai-Patan at a cost of Rs 118 crore (40.5 km), Karesera-Kamharia-Silhati roads at a cost of Rs 92 crore ( 39.2 km), G.E. road-Indamara-Telkadih at a cost of Rs56.6 crore ( 20 km), Chowki-Chilhati-Korchatola at a cost of Rs58 crore ( 22.2. km), Dongagarh-Chichola at an investment of Rs48.2 crore ( 15.3 km) Dhara-Telkadih at a cost of Rs51.5 crore (19.4 km), Chikli-Padubatra at a cost of Rs42 crore (15.9 km).
The other road projects are Pamgarh-lahod at a cost of Rs76.5 crore (31 kilometer), Bishrampur-Datima at a cost of Rs26.7 core (10 km), Ambikapur-Pratapur at a cost of Rs83.2 crore (40.5 km), Baramkela-Sohela at a cost of Rs91.5 crore (32 km), Gharghoda-lailoonga at cost of Rs68 crore, Dhamdha-Bemetara roads at a cost of Rs 91.7 crore,, Birkona-Piparia-Umaria roads' project at a cost of Rs95 crore, Tara-Premnagar-Ramanujnagar at a cost of Rs130 crore, Kawarda-Raipur-Kamaria at a cost of Rs 74.5 crore, Dondilohara-Junapani- Chowki at a cost of Rs110 crore, Chichola-Chhuria-Kallubanjari at a cost of Rs58 crore,Pasan-Piparia-Kodgar at a cost of Rs97 crore, Seepat-Baloda-Oorga at a cost of Rs111 crore, Poojitara-Tamnagar-lailoonga at a cost of Rs146 crore, Haati-Oorga at Rs192 crore.
The State Public Works Department (PWD) is currently involved in construction of 14 key roads involving a total cost of Rs405 crores in Chhattisgarh.
PWD Minister Rajesh Munat informed that nearly 300-kms long roads are being constructed to link forest areas and remote villages of the State with road network.
He directed the officials to strictly comply with the quality standards for the road construction work.