Chhattisgarh has developed a 1,022-km road network in rural and inaccessible areas inhabited by tribals during 2004 under the Prime Minister's Rural Road Scheme (PMRRS).

"We have made the best use of PMRRS during 2004 and spent Rs.2.33 billion for connecting most backward areas and remote belts by developing a 1,022-km road network," Panchayat Secretary M.K. Raut said.

A total of 2,714 small bridges had also been built under the programme.

Raut said the PMRRS had turned out to be a boon for the backward state, which has 38 percent of its 20.7 million population living below the poverty line.

"The scheme will change the fate of the remote belt as 6,550 km of roads will be built in the rural belt under the scheme in a phased manner at a cost of Rs.11.8 billion," Raut said.

The state government has made strict arrangements for maintaining quality in construction works and has set up a laboratory in all 16 districts besides six mobile laboratories to stop using sub-standard raw materials.

Besides the monitoring by laboratories, the government has appointed RITES, a public sector company under the railways ministry, as consulting agency for determining the quality of the roads.

With the construction of 1,022 km of roads, the total road network of Chhattisgarh has gone up to 35,388 km, included 1,827 km of national highways and 2,073 km of state highways.