Friday, September 20, 2013

State government lays road map to improve 2,158 km highways

The New Indian Express (Bhubneswar), Sept. 20, 2013
The State Government has set a target to improve 2,158 km of State Highways to two-lane standards during the 12th Plan period.
The double-laning of the roads will be taken under the State Highway Development Project (SHDP) with an estimated cost of around Rs 3,000 crore. A project management cell (PMC) will be set up to manage and monitor the projects under SHDP scheme. The Works department was advised to engage a professional contract management agency to assist the PMC for timely accomplishment of the targets.
This was decided at a high level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary J K Mohapatra here on Thursday.
According to the meeting, 381 km of road projects involving a cost of around Rs 633 crore have been put to tender. These works include widening of Banigochha-Khajuripada-Phulbani-Saranagada-Baliguda (52.52 km), Baliguda-Sindiguda (29.86 km) and Baliguda-Minuguda (24 km) in Kandhamal district, Parvatipur-Laxmipur (47.35 km) in Koraput district, Karanjia-Thakurmunda-Satkosia-Anandapur (57.22 km) in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar district.
The Berhampur-Mandara (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.
The Chief Secretary asked the department to prepare monthly work plans on each road project and accomplish the target for each month.
He further advised the department to finalise contracts for another 800 km and finish tendering of the roads by December 2013.
Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management, Taradatt, asked the implementing agencies to minimise the time taken for developing designs, soil testing, various clearances and interdepartmental coordination. Besides, monthly target should be fixed at junior and assistant engineer levels.
The meeting decided to prioritise the road projects in Left Wing Extremist (LWE)- affected districts.
Thirteen road projects of 614.82 km and one bridge involving a cost of around Rs 949 crore have been sanctioned for LWE-hit districts like Sambalpur, Rayagada, Gajapati and Malkangiri.

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