BHUBANESWAR: Urban infrastructure received a major push with the state government earmarking Rs 9,603 crore for transformation of urban Odisha in the 2024-25 budget.
Proposing a layout of Rs 1,000 crore for Bhubaneswar metro project, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the development of the state-of-the-art rapid rail system, which aims to create seamless, efficient and sustainable urban mobility, is the cornerstone of his government’s urban transformation initiatives. In the first phase, the project will connect Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar with Trisulia square in Cuttack by 2027 at a cost of Rs 6,256 crore.
The government has also proposed Rs 918 crore for the new city development project, while Rs 606 crore has been set aside for Unnati scheme for the development of smart cities and promotion of digital infrastructure to create smart solutions for better urban management and citizen services.
The state government has also allocated Rs 357 crore for urban water supply under Basudha, Rs 380 crore for urban sanitation, Rs 214 crore for urban sewerage scheme, Rs 200 crore for urban road transport and expansion of CRUT services and Rs 606 crore for improvement of urban governance.