Bhubaneswar, April 10 The Odisha government on Friday announced the Atal Bus Stand scheme to establish bus stands across the state, with a budgetary allocation of Rs 3,400 crore for a period of six years.
The proposed modern bus stands will feature facilities such as digital information display boards, hygienic waiting rooms, and commercial spaces, officials said.
At a state Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the scheme was approved along with 10 other proposals from various departments, Chief Secretary Anu Garg told mediapersons here.
The scheme, named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was launched with the objective of constructing, developing, renovating, operating, maintaining, and managing all public bus stands across the state, she said.
The government aims to bring all public bus stands of the state under a single umbrella management system through the "Atal Bus Stand" scheme, including all existing bus stands, to ensure uniformity in development, renovation, operation, maintenance, and management across the state, Garg said.
The bus stands included in the scheme will be designated and notified as public transport infrastructure to be used by both government and private bus operators, she said.
The top bureaucrat said that Atal Bus Stands will be established across the state at district headquarters, sub-divisional towns, and key tourist locations in Odisha. The bus stops will be categorized into "A", "B", and "C" classes.
The scheme will be implemented by the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) under the Commerce & Transport department.
A total budget of Rs 3,400 crore has been approved for the scheme until the financial year 2031-32, she added.
