Odisha’s Four Tribal Districts Now Linked by 641 km of National Highways: Nitin Gadkari
Odisha’s Four Tribal Districts Have 641 km of National Highways
Bhubaneswar, Feb 13: The Centre informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that four tribal districts of Odisha Gajapati, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, and Rayagada are connected by approximately 641 km of national highways (NHs), amid concerns over connectivity and project delays.
Detailed Highway Coverage
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, responding to a query from BJD MP Sasmit Patra, said Odisha has a total of around 5,872 km of NHs across all 30 districts. Of this, Gajapati has 156 km, Malkangiri 143 km, Kandhamal 233 km, and Rayagada 109 km.
Connectivity Concerns and Project Delays
Patra highlighted that these districts continue to face poor highway connectivity and requested details of sanctioned, delayed, or stalled projects over the past two years. Gadkari explained that NH development is guided by traffic demand, connectivity requirements, regional priorities, and the existing road network.
The minister acknowledged that certain projects have faced time overruns due to delays in land acquisition and forest clearances but clarified that fund constraints or lack of funding have not caused slow progress or cost escalation.
Government Focus on Regional Development
Gadkari’s statement underscores the government’s ongoing focus on expanding highway infrastructure in tribal districts while balancing administrative and environmental challenges.
