Naveen seeks more funds for rural road connectivity in Odisha

Odisha CM asks Narendra Modi to hike allocation to Rs 1,800 cr for current financial year

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged the Centre to increase allocation to the state under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) for Odisha for 2014-15.

In a letter to prime minister, Narendra Modi, Patnaik requested him to hike the allocation to Rs 1,800 crore for the current financial year.

For 2014-15, the Centre had allocated Rs 1,178 crore for Odisha, out of which Rs 1,051.50 crore has been released to the state. In 2013-14, the state had spent Rs 1,615 crore under this Central scheme.

“The allocation of Rs 1,178 crore made during this current financial year will not be sufficient and needs to be enhanced to least Rs 1,800 crore. We have already spent Rs 800 crore out of the released fund”, Patnaik wrote to Modi.

Patnaik also urged Modi to release the balance funds at the earliest to ensure proper implementation of the PMGSY scheme in the state.

It may be noted the Union ministry of Rural Development has sanctioned an amount of Rs 17,814.24 crore since the inception of the scheme. Out of the sanctioned amount, Rs 11,942.83 crore has been released by the Centre and fully spent, leaving a balance amount of Rs 5,871.41 crore to be sanctioned.