New Indian express reports that a road master plan with focus on backward regions is in being finalized for Orissa.

Some projects which are worth mentioning are Motu- Jeypore road in the Viayawada-Ranchi corridor which will connect to the Vijayawada Ranchi corridor. Another project is the 82- km Cuttack-Paradip road estimated to cost Rs 218 crore.

Tender has been floated for the Khurda-Balangir road for which the Centre has provided Rs 76 crore.

Excerpts:

The Works Department will prepare the master plan jointly with the Rural Development and the Panchayati Raj departments, Works Minister AU Singhdeo informed the Assembly while replying to discussion on his department’s budget on Tuesday.More projects will be taken up under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode as huge investment is required for developing road connectivity and the State Government is unable to generate funds for all the projects. A PPP policy has been formulated which will placed before Cabinet for approval, he added.

Since economic growth of a State largely depends on the road infrastructure, the Government has to reach beyond budgetary support and go for alternative funding of road projects. The PPP mode is the best possible model to arrange private funds for investment in road sector, he said.