Centre initiates work on roads in 44 Naxal-hit districts

The Centre has initiated work on a road connectivity project in 44 Naxal-hit districts at an estimated cost of Rs 11,725 crore.

The allocation under the project include Rs 550 crore for deployment of security forces at strategic locations in the districts, senior government officials said.

The government has sought a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the centrally-sponsored "Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas" scheme.

The scheme, which was approved by the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last December, is aimed at improving rural road connectivity in the affected districts.

The districts include Sukma in Chhattisgarh, which witnessed a deadly Maoist attack on troopers working to secure a road under construction in April this year.

Five per cent of the total project cost has been kept aside for administrative expenses including for deployment of security forces at strategic locations, the officials said.

The project will be implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) in districts that are critical from a security and communication point of view.

Under the project, there will be construction or upgrading of 5,411 kilometres of roads and 126 bridges.

Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra are the other states that will be covered under the scheme.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)