Bhubaneswar: The state government has urged the Centre to provide 100 per cent assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, a flagship programme of the Union government.

Odisha's rural development minister Bikram Keshari Arukh made the demand at a review meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. Union rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar had presided over the meeting.

Earlier, the Centre used to give 100 per cent assistance under the scheme. However, it changed the funding pattern to 60 per cent in 2015-16.

Arukh urged the Centre to bear 100 per cent cost for the execution of the PMGSY projects, which had been sanctioned before 2015-16 and have remained incomplete so far.

According to norms, habitats with a population not below 250 are eligible for road connectivity under PMGSY. However, Odisha's 18 districts are tribal dominated and sparsely populated. Arukh has asked for relaxation of norms in these districts and funds for habitats having 100 residents. He also urged for inclusion of 38 Maoist-affected blocks in the road connectivity scheme.

The core network for the PMGSY projects was prepared in 2001. Arukh urged Tomar to amend it as per the 2011 census report so that many more habitats could be included in the scheme.

Informing the Centre about the scheme's progress in Odisha, the minister said funds had so far been sanctioned for 60,594km road and 496 bridges since the project's inception in 2000. By February this year, construction of 44,342km roads and 214 bridges had been completed at a cost of Rs 18,960 crore.

The Centre has fixed 2019 as the deadline for winding up the scheme. Earlier the deadline was 2022.

To meet the new deadline, the state government is expediting execution of the projects and has sought additional central funds for their early completion.