Bhubaneswar, Aug. 31: The state government will formulate a plan called Infrastructure Development Scheme for the Koraput-Balangir-Kalahandi (KBK) region by delinking it from the Biju KBK Plan from this fiscal.

The new scheme will be implemented in the eight KBK districts - Koraput, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Balangir, Sonepur, Kalahandi and Nuapada - at a cost of Rs 130 crore per annum.

The outlay allocated to the KBK districts would be implemented two-third as the state sector scheme and one-third as the district sector scheme. The outlay under the district sector will be spent primarily for undertaking projects related to water and electricity supply, road construction and other livelihood initiatives and need-based projects. The district planning committees will examine and approve the action plan under the district sector.

'These action plans will be formulated with the involvement of peoples' representatives. There shall be complete transparency in the choice of schemes and projects and their locations,' mentioned the guidelines.

On the other hand, the action plan under the state sector will be submitted straight to the planning and convergence department for approval instead of being routed through the district planning committees. The collectors of the eight KBK districts have been asked to furnish monthly project reports mentioning the financial and physical achievements of various projects to the planning and convergence department by the 10th day of every month.

The government move to delink the Infrastructure Development Scheme from the Biju KBK Plan and branding it as a new scheme has drawn flak from the Opposition. 'The state government has devised the new plan keeping an eye on the coming elections,' said Congress MLA Prafulla Majhi. BJP leader Prithviraj Harichandan described the move as a complete 'eyewash'.

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