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 areas, 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, aims to construct, develop, renovate, operate, maintain, and manage all public bus stands across the state, she said.
The government aims to bring all public bus stands of the state under a single management framework 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 the 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 and other 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.
At the meeting, the state government has also approved the construction of a power grid sub-station at Basudevpur, along with associated transmission lines, with a total estimated cost of Rs 1,647 crore.
Out of the total project cost, 30 per cent (Rs 494.10 crore) will be borne by the state government, while the remaining 70 per cent (Rs 1,152.90 crore) will be arranged by Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) through banks and financial institutions, the chief secretary said.
The project, targeted to be completed in three years, will cater to the power requirements of upcoming industries in Keonjhar district and the adjoining Koida area of Sundargarh district, she stated.
Garg also informed the media that the Odisha Cabinet has approved the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Policy for rural drinking water supply to guarantee uninterrupted water supply, strict compliance with drinking water quality standards, preventive maintenance of assets, and transparent financial management.
The roles and responsibilities of authorities from village to state levels have been defined in the policy, strengthening decentralized governance and community ownership, she added.
The Cabinet has also approved five irrigation projects for Cuttack, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Jajpur, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj districts with a total cost of around Rs 820 crore, which includes five years of operation & maintenance expenses, Garg said.
