
BHUBANESWAR : The state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, on Wednesday ratified a slew of key decisions, including a proposal for upgradation and strengthening of government-run primary schools as model schools under the Godabarish Mishra Adarsha Prathamik Vidyalaya (GMAPV) scheme.
The model schools will come up in all the 6,794 panchayats across Odisha. Announcing the decision at a media conference, the chief minister said the financial implication for establishment of the model primary schools will be Rs 11,939.41 crore over a five-year period from 2024-25 to 2028-29.
In the first phase, model schools will be set up in 114 gram panchayats. The remaining will be completed over the next four years. The approximate cost per school will range from Rs 1 crore to Rs 4 crore depending on the enrolment, he said. The actual expenditure will be based on the detailed project report (DPR) for each school. Every high school will be made smart under the Adarsha Vidyalaya Yojana, he informed.
The chief minister also targeted the previous BJD government’s 5T high school transformation project, saying transformation of smart schools was not carried out in a proper manner. “No DPR was prepared or estimate made. It was like playing with the future of students,” he said.
The chief minister said GMAPV aligns with the focus of RTE Act, 2009 on inclusivity and quality education for marginalised communities. The scheme promotes equitable and holistic student development reinforcing the mission of the NEP 2020.
The cabinet also approved the ‘Bikashita Gaon, Bikashita Odisha’ scheme which Majhi said aims to bridge critical gaps for accelerated and inclusive growth of rural Odisha. It will continue for five years with an outlay of Rs 5,000 crore. An allocation of Rs 1,000 crore has been made for the scheme in the 2024-25 annual budget, he said and added that it can be extended by the government.
Stating that ‘Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha,’ the scheme launched by the previous government for development in rural Odisha had failed completely, the chief minister said it was meant to please the contractors.
The chief minister said under ‘Bikashita Gaon, Bikashita Odisha’, development of inner and intra village roads will be of prime importance. The scheme also envisages to take up need-based community projects for creating durable assets.