Bhubaneswar: Odisha is witnessing an extraordinary leap in road development funding, with the allocation for a single year dramatically overshadowing the total investment of the previous decade.
So Odisha is poised for a significant transformation in its highway infrastructure following a major funding announcement at Indian Road Congress (IRC) held in the capital city.
The state, which hosted the last IRC in 2015, has traditionally seen investment flow for road development from Centre average out to approximately Rs. 1,000 crore annually over the last decade, totaling around Rs. 10,000 crore
This year, however, marks a dramatic departure from that trend. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) had already sanctioned Rs. 13,069 crore for Odisha’s road projects.
Adding to this substantial figure, Union Minister for MoRTH, Shri Nitin Gadkari, while inaugurating the IRC, announced an additional Rs. 1,000 crore for the state.
This brings the total allocation for road development in Odisha to over Rs. 14,000 crore in a single year, an amount that surpasses the cumulative investment of the previous ten years.
Thanks to Shri Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, is widely acknowledged for his pivotal role in significantly advancing India’s road and highway infrastructure.
His tenure is characterized by a rapid expansion of the national highway network and the implementation of world-class projects, earning him the title “Expressway Man of India” in the Media.
This surge in funding has been widely welcomed by top state officials. Principal Secretary Works, Shri Sanjay Kumar Singh, expressed his pleasure regarding the development, noting that Odisha is now set to make major strides in enhancing its highway infrastructure.
Shri Singh, welcomed this unprecedented level of support, acknowledging that the state is now on a fast track for significant development of its highway infrastructure. The scale of this investment is being hailed as a major milestone, promising world-class roads and accelerated economic activity across Odisha.
The announcement is being seen as a testament to the benefits of cooperative governance between the state and central governments, signaling a promising future for connectivity and economic growth across Odisha.
The substantial financial support is expected to accelerate ongoing projects and greenlight new initiatives, fundamentally changing the landscape of road transport in the state.