BHUBANESWAR: Amid growing concern over road fatalities during the national road safety month, the Centre has asked the Odisha government to significantly scale up its driver training infrastructure to equip drivers with advanced skills in the technology-driven transport ecosystem.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to set up at least one driver training centre (DTC) in every district and additional centres in densely populated regions.
In a communication (accessed by The New Indian Express), Gadkari indicated that the MoRTH could sanction more such centres in districts with populations exceeding 10 lakh, subject to conditions, to address the high demand in industrial clusters.
"Odisha is eligible for at least 30 DTCs (one per district). Additional DTCs can be sanctioned for districts with more than 10 lakh population, provided the locations are in different blocks and do not already house any driver training institute or such centre," Gadkari wrote to Majhi.
Although the state has four Institutes of Driving Training and Research (IDTRs) at Chhatia (Jajpur), Palur (Ganjam), Keonjhar and Bonai (Sundargarh), it does not have a single DTC and Regional Driver Training Centre (RDTC).
The state government had earlier proposed four more IDTRs and one RDTC in Odisha. The state had also requested the Centre to relax the population-based eligibility norms for such model driving institutes.
The Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989 mandate setting up of such centres as they help ensure good driving skills and knowledge of rules of road regulation among drivers. As provisioned, the MoRTH provides one time assistance of 100 per cent of the capital investment subject to a maximum of Rs 17.25 crore per IDTR, Rs 5.5 crore for one RDTC and 50 per cent of the project cost subject to a maximum of Rs 1 crore per DTC.
After examining the proposal, the Union minister said that under the revised guidelines issued by the MoRTH on January 15, 2025, for the 15th Finance Commission cycle, sanctioning of such centres is governed by strict population criteria. These norms, he said, are aimed at ensuring operational viability and optimal utilisation of public funds.
"The guidelines have been framed after due consideration of population criteria to ensure that the centres function effectively. If projects are sanctioned in excess of the prescribed eligibility, there is a significant risk that the centres may not function at full capacity," Gadkari cautioned.
Based on these parameters, the minister informed that Odisha is currently eligible for sanction of two IDTRs and four RDTCs. The Centre has already sanctioned one IDTR in Jajpur district and one DTC in Mayurbhanj district.
In order to address the high demand for trained drivers, Gadkari has suggested that the state government send a revised and prioritised proposal for sanction of one additional IDTR, four RDTCs and 29 or more DTCs in accordance with the prescribed eligibility criteria.
A Transport department official said transport commissioner Amitabh Thakur has been asked to prepare a fresh proposal incorporating the suggestions made by the Union minister. "We would request the Centre for more IDTRs, which are the need of the hour," he said.