By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, August 27, 2015 :  Odisha will have over 900 km of new National Highways (NH) by 2017-18.

A high-level meeting presided over by chief minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat here on Wednesday revealed that of the 900 km of new NH which will be built at a cost of Rs 3555 crore, construction of 423.90 km would be made under NH Plan, 136.28 km under National Highway Development Project (NHDP), 184 km under National Highways Interconnectivity Improvement Project (NHIIP) and 157 km under Left Wing Extremism (LWE) project, officials said.

While construction of Nabarangpur-Kokasara (55 km), Nuapada-Bangomunda (68 km) and Bhojapura-Chhatabara (61 km) roads would be taken up under the flagship programme of the NH, to be aided by the World Bank, construction of Kanakatora-Jharsuguda (68 km) and Pallahara-Pitri Junction (68 km) NH would be made under NHDP.

Besides, construction of Jeypore-Kota-Malkangiri (86 km) and Koraput-Laxmipur-Rayagada (71 km) NH will be made under LWE project.

It was decided in the meeting that the state government will submit a proposal to the Centre for conversion of Chhatrapur-Satapada (70 km) and Konark-Astaranga-Nuagan-Paradip-Basudevpur-Chandipur-Chandaneswar-Digha (430 km) State Highways to NH under Bharatmala Yojana.

The state plans to construct 258 km of NH having 10-metre width at a cost of Rs 653 crore in 2015-16. Besides, doubling of 358-km of NH and construction of 38 bridges are underway.

The chief minister advised the chief secretary to conduct review meeting to solve problems like land acquisitions, encroachment causing hassles in the construction of NH. He also directed the Revenue secretary to review of matters pertaining to land acquisition for construction of NH at regular intervals.