Bhubaneswar: The Union Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) on Tuesday approved improvement of the balance 600-km of State Roads in order to develop, in a phased manner, the entire 1,632-km-long Maoist-dominated Vijayawada-Ranchi corridor at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore. The project, which would be completed in next three years by March 2014, would also provide a good communication network between the backward tribal districts and developed areas in Odisha as well as between the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The project would cover the districts of Malkangiri, Jaypore, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhmal, Boudh, Sambalpur, Angul, Deogarh, Koenjhar and Mayurbhanj districts in Odisha. Notably, in view of the growing Maoist activities in these states, the Vijayawada-Ranchi route was considered for development as an integrated project by the Central and state governments. In September 2009, the Centre took a decision to sanction fund for the remaining stretches of National Highways on the Vijayawada-Ranchi route in Odisha for widening it to two-lane standards and undertaking preparation of Detail Project Reports (DPRs) for the 600-km length of the State Roads, which are not covered under any other programme.