Over 5,000 revenue and remote villages in Odisha still lack all-weather roads: Minister

More than 5,000 revenue and remote villages in Odisha continue to remain without all-weather road connectivity, the Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Rabi Naik informed the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

Also Read: Roadless villages in Odisha still exist as officials ignore Govt directives

Responding to a question raised by MLA Arun Sahoo, the Rural Development Minister said that the State government is taking steps to ensure all revenue villages are connected with all-weather roads at the earliest.

The Minister further stated that 2,643 kilometres of roads have been constructed in the current financial year alone, marking a significant push toward improving rural connectivity. Despite the government’s ongoing efforts, a large number of villages continue to depend on kutcha or seasonal roads, making access difficult during rains and emergencies.

The Minister has assured that accelerated construction plans are in place to bring every unconnected revenue village under all-weather road coverage.

Worth mentioning, despite clear instructions from the Odisha government to prioritise road connectivity in remote villages, several government officials continue to withhold crucial data. This delay hampers development, and thousands still live in isolation across the State.

Even after repeated reminders, government officials in Odisha are failing to provide critical data on villages lacking road access, effectively stalling rural connectivity projects. This isn’t merely a public grievance—it had been formally acknowledged by the Rural Development department itself in an earlier official letter.

“We have been instructed by the State government to immediately visit ground zero and collect detailed information on the villages that do not have access roads,” Aska MLA Saroj Padhi had previously said.