Bhubaneswar, May 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday launched the fourth phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY-IV) in Odisha, marking a major push for rural connectivity in the state.
The project was inaugurated at a special programme held in Rayagada district in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Ravi Narayan Naik on Friday.
The Union Minister formally handed over the approval letter for PMGSY-IV to the Chief Minister on the dais.
Besides this, Chief Minister Majhi also announced several new road projects for Rayagada district and inaugurated multiple drinking water and infrastructure projects on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Chouhan said that the double-engine government is working with full commitment for the holistic development of Odisha. The Union Minister said that he had not come empty-handed but had brought concrete development initiatives that would directly benefit villages, the poor, farmers, labourers, women and youth across the state.
Emphasising the importance of rural connectivity, he said roads are not merely a means of transportation, but lifelines for employment, education, healthcare and overall socio-economic progress.
Under the first phase of PMGSY-IV, Odisha has been sanctioned 827 new roads spanning 1,701.84 km at a total cost of Rs 1,698.04 crore.
In this phase, 898 villages across eight districts -- Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Khordha, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Sambalpur -- will be provided with all-weather road connectivity.
A total of 827 new roads covering around 1,702 km will be constructed, with funding shared between the Centre and the state in a 60:40 ratio. In addition, supplementary financial support is being provided for the completion of previously sanctioned but unfinished road projects to ensure that even the remotest regions are connected to the mainstream of development.
He said that Rs 630.61 crore has been approved for the completion of pending houses under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin.
On the occasion of Labour Day, the Union Minister also announced the release of Rs 868.71 crore as the first instalment under MGNREGA for the financial year 2026–27. Additionally, approval worth Rs 30.07 crore was granted under WDC-PMKSY 2.0.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Majhi recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s words, stating that “India lives in its villages. Without rural development, national development is impossible.” He added that proper connectivity in rural areas forms the foundation of social and economic progress.
“When roads connect to villages, multiple avenues of development open up. This scheme will act as a lifeline for rural areas and usher in a new era of development,” he said, reiterating his commitment to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s vision.
Source: IANS
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