Hyderabad: Realising that development is the remedy to win the fight against the Maoists, the Centre plans to connect eight Maoist-affected districts in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Telangana state with a 1,300-km road costing Rs 1,300 crore.
The Centre has taken up these roads under the road connectivity project for left wing extremism affected areas scheme to connect villages in the Dandakaranya forest.
An official said these roads are being laid in remote villages of Khammam, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Asifabad and Mancherial districts of Telangana state, Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra and in Bijapur and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh.
It wil have three bridges, one each at Parnasala of Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Mukkanur in Bhupalapally and in Peddapally district.
Funds have been released for 550 km of roads and work has commenced. Detailed project reports are being prepared for the remaining 750 km.
Road connectivity aims at providing health and education facilities to remote backward villages, an official told this newspaper.
