Odisha Cabinet Approves Rs 32,067 Crore Rural Infrastructure Package

The Odisha state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved an infrastructure package totaling Rs 32,067 crore to enhance rural connectivity through 2030-31. The initiative includes the development of approximately 50,000 km of rural roads and the construction of 3,837 bridges and bridge-like structures.

Key projects include the Setu Bandhan Yojana, which received an allocation of approximately Rs 11,000 crore to Rs 11,800 crore for 1,750 new bridges and 1,417 ongoing projects. The Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana will focus on upgrading existing roads and creating missing links, specifically targeting difficult terrains and regions affected by left wing extremism.

Beyond transport, the cabinet repealed the Odisha Agricultural Produce Markets Act of 1956 to implement a new marketing law and extended Rs 2,496.40 crore in agricultural subsidies for 8,500 agri-enterprise projects. It also cleared over Rs 130 crore for the Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Scheme.

These investments precede the three-tier panchayat and urban local body elections scheduled for early next year. The local polls represent the first grassroots electoral test for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and a challenge for the Biju Janata Dal.