Odisha to develop 381 km highways under road development plan

Govt to award contract for another 500 km by Dec 2013

The state government has chalked out plans to improve conditions of 2,158 km State Highways at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore in four years. For the first phase, 381 km of road projects involving expenditure of around Rs 633 crore have been put to tender.

The state has introduced a new scheme called State Highways Development Programme (SHDP). Under the plan, the government aims to double lane all the State Highways within 12th Five Year Plan with an estimated investment of Rs 3,000.00 crore.

It has been decided to set up a project management cell (PMC) to manage and monitor the projects under SHDP scheme. The Works department has been advised to engage a professional contract management agency to assist the PMC for timely accomplishment of the targets.

Recently, at a high level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary, J K Mohapatra, emphasis was given on completion of road widening work in Naxal-affected districts.

The first phase of the programme include widening and strengthening of 11.772 km road between Hindol and Mahidharpur on SH-64 in Dhenkanal district , 11.93 km long Umerkote-Raighar-Kundei-Likma on SH-40 in Nabarangpur district, , 8.20 km Seragarh-Nilagiri-Jharanaghati on SH-19 in Balasore district and 7km Arigaon-Bishalpali road in Bolangir district.

The list also include Shergada- Badagada-Sorada stretch on SH-36 of 38.95 km in Ganjam district, Manamunda-Kantamala-Ghantapada-Sindhiguda (SH-41) of 24.19 km in Boudh, Banigochha-Madharpur-Khajuripada-Phulbani-Saranagada-Nuagaon-Baliguda (SH-1) of 52.52km in Kandhamal, Baliguda-Muniguda (SH-5) of 24 km in Kandhamal, Parvatipur-Laxmipur (SH-51) of 47.35 km in Koraput district, Karanjia-Thakurmunda-Satkosia-Anandapur (SH-53) of 57.22 km in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar district.

As per the decision, the Berhampur-Mandara stretch (31 km) and Shergada-Badagada-Sorada (38.95 km) in Ganjam district, Padadahandi-Umerkote-Yerla (18.60 km) and Umerkote-Raighar-Kundei-Likma (11.93 km) in Nabarangpur district and Bhawanipatana-Gunupur-Kashipur (18.90 km) in Kalahandi district will also be developed into two lanes.

In the meeting, Chief Secretary J K Mohapatra asked the officials to prepare monthly work plans against each road project and accomplish the target.

The state works department has decided that project costing more than Rs 20 crore will be implemented under Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) mode.

The Chief Secretary has advised the works department to finalise contract awards of 800 km roads and finish tendering of balance roads by December 2013.