How PM-JANMAN Transforming Odisha’s Tribal Heartland

In the deep folds of Odisha’s tribal landscape, two stretches of road have become powerful symbols of transformation and hope. Under the Prime Minister’s Janjati Adibasi Nyay Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), the construction of the Telgudutha–Tarabel road in Rayagada district and the Purta–Siarhuli road in Deogarh district is quietly rewriting the story of rural isolation. For generations, these villages remained cut off by rugged terrain and seasonal inaccessibility, their lives shaped by the rhythm of mud paths and monsoon rains. Today, these roads have become lifelines, linking communities to opportunity, safety, and dignity.

In Rayagada, the 2.5 km Telgudutha–Tarabel road has replaced an uneven, muddy track that once made every journey a test of endurance. During the rains, the village would turn into an island, cut off from schools, markets, and hospitals. Now, for the first time, vehicles can reach the village in every season. Children who once trudged through slush to attend school now travel comfortably; pregnant women are no longer forced to endure perilous treks to reach medical help. The new road has also opened the way for farmers to sell their crops and forest produce in nearby markets, expanding their incomes and giving their hard work a fairer value. Beyond connectivity, the project has woven a sense of participation among the locals, many of whom found employment during construction. Environmental care was built into the process too, tree plantations and effective drainage systems ensure the road’s longevity while protecting the ecosystem around it.

In Deogarh district, a similar story unfolds. A 2.198 km road linking Purta BLD road to Siarhuli in Barakot block, built at a cost of Rs 1.41 crore under the Prime Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojana, now serves as a vital artery for particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG). Where once only footpaths wound through the forest, a durable, all-weather road now connects the villages to schools, Anganwadi centres, and health facilities. It has also brought government welfare schemes closer to the people, ensuring that entitlements once trapped in bureaucracy now reach those who need them most. With improved access, small businesses and service providers have begun to enter these once-remote areas, sparking new livelihood opportunities for young men and women who no longer feel compelled to migrate in search of work.

These roads may seem modest in length, but their impact runs deep. They have bridged more than just physical distance — they have connected aspirations, empowered communities, and given voice to regions long unheard. In the dust and gravel of Telgudutha, Tarabel, Purta, and Siarhuli, one can see the contours of a larger promise, that development, when it truly reaches the grassroots, can turn isolation into inclusion and pathways into progress.