State cabinet approves the Odisha Rural Road Maintenance Policy

The Odisha cabinet has approved the rural road maintenance policy aimed at better planning and execution with regard to maintenance of rural roads in the state. The objective of this policy is to prolong the life of the roads by reducing the rate of deterioration. According to the policy, a comprehensive road database consisting of road inventory details and a road condition index report for every rural road will be prepared. Technical audits will then be conducted by an independent team of engineers or consulting firms that have expertise in the maintenance of rural roads. However, the government will not create a dedicated fund for policy implementation, as it will be taken up through the convergence of different schemes. For 2017-18, the state government has made a provision of Rs 3 billion for road maintenance for over five years under the PMGSY. Besides, the rural development department has received Rs 1.75 billion from the central government for the effective implementation of the PMGSY in the state.