Bhubaneswar, April 10
The Odisha Cabinet on Friday approved 11 key proposals across five departments during a meeting held here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
Among the major decisions, the Odisha Cabinet has approved the construction of bus stands with all the advanced amenities under the ambitious "Atal Bus Stand" scheme across the state.
"For the purpose of "Enhanced Public Transport Infrastructure and Facilities across the State of Odisha", the Odisha government has taken a transformative step by launching the scheme titled 'Atal Bus Stand (ABS)' with the objective of Construction/Development/Renovation/Operation, Maintenance and Management of bus stands across the state," the state government told in an official statement.
The scheme aims to integrate all public bus stands in Odisha, including those under earlier initiatives and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), into a single framework for uniform standards and efficient management statewide.
Under the Atal Bus Stand Scheme, bus stands will be developed at the district headquarters, Sub-Divisional headquarters, block headquarters, ULBs, including tourist and other important locations in Odisha.
The bus stands will be categorised into "A", "B" and "C" class provisions of bus stands, as per requirement of public and need for considerable bus transportation and communication facility in the area.
The "Atal Bus Stand (ABS)" Scheme will be implemented by the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation under the Commerce and Transport Department, and the state government has approved a total budget of Rs 3,400 crore for its implementation till Financial Year (FY) 2031-32.
Briefing the media on the other key proposals getting Cabinet approval on Friday, Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg said that the Water Resources Department accounted for five major proposals, reflecting the state government's focus on infrastructure development and farmer empowerment.
She also added that among them, a Rs 135 crore irrigation project in Cuttack district was approved to irrigate 3,641 hectares of land across 76 villages through an underground pipeline system, also supporting micro-irrigation.
Under this project, a reservoir will be constructed across the Hadua river near Kharod village in Cuttack district along with an extensive distribution system to provide assured irrigation facilities to 3,641 hectares of cultivable command area in the drought-prone regions of the Narasinghpur, Badamba and Tigiria blocks of Cuttack district.
Highlighting drinking water management, Garg said the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department has introduced a comprehensive Operation and Maintenance Policy for Rural Drinking Water Supply-2026.
The policy involves community participation through village-level committees, gram panchayats, and self-help groups to ensure better water quality, distribution, and upkeep of infrastructure.
In the energy sector, a major infrastructure project was approved for setting up a 2x500 MVA grid substation at Basudevpur in Keonjhar district at a cost of Rs 1,647 crore.
The project, to be completed in three years, will strengthen power supply in Keonjhar and Sundargarh districts.
Chief Secretary Garg also reiterated that the Cabinet decisions underline the state government's priority on infrastructure growth, irrigation expansion, improved public services, and administrative reforms.
- IANS
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