Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 9: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday dedicated 100 bridges under the Biju Setu Yojana and also inaugurated 75 drinking water projects in the state.
Patnaik who unveiled the bridge and drinking water projects in the presence of some state ministers at the secretariat here, said that the projects would benefit a large number of people in rural areas of the state.
“I am happy to dedicate 100 Biju Setus and 75 pipelines for the service of people,” said Patnaik. “The Biju Setu Yojana was launched to provide connectivity to villages across the state. Under this project, 481 bridges have already been completed while construction of 382 bridges is underway,” he said.
“Unveiling of the 100 bridges under the Biju Setu Yojana (BSY) will benefit around 16 lakh people covering 345 panchayats,” he said.
“The launch of 75 new piped water projects will ensure safe drinking water for an additional 1.15 lakh people,” he said.
Rural development Minister Badrinarayan Patra said these 75 piped drinking water projects have been implemented in rural pockets of 21 districts.
Patra said that the state government has also taken a decision to construct another 153 bridges under BSY soon.
The state government has decided to construct 201 bridges under Biju Setu Yojana this fiscal.
The state government has also decided to go for third party assessment of these works to ensure quality work.
The piped water supply facility in rural Orissa is in a sorry state. Of the total 81.55 lakh rural households only 2.03 lakh households, accounting for 2.5 per cent of the total rural households in the state, have the piped water supply connection.
The minister has put the blame for this on poor central allocation of funds. The allocation under national drinking water projects was reduced to Rs 118 crore last fiscal from Rs 350 crore in the previous fiscal.
The minister also said that state has received only Rs 24 crore under this project as of now.