BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday, December 23, 2021, laid the foundation stones for 55 bus stands in 22 districts of the State virtually to give a boost to rural connectivity. The bus stands will be set up at block levels taking into account several factors like distance from district headquarters, economic activities, places of tourist interest, existing communication facility and other factors.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the new bus stands will connect rural people of the State with better communication infrastructure and benefit them to a great extent. Stating that rural connectivity has been one of the top most priorities of the government, he said that this will prove to be yet another milestone in the communication scenario of the State. The Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) has been connecting Odisha and all its major regions through its fleet of buses, he added.
Thanking the OSRTC for the initiative, he further said that it is making new strides in reaching across the entire State and connecting people through integration of infrastructure development. Minister for Commerce and Transport Padmanabha Behera said that the department is working to improve the transport scenario of the State to provide better communication infrastructure to rural people. Ministers, MPs, MLAs, district collectors and transport officials were present at district-level programmes. Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra and senior officers were also present.