Odisha Cabinet Clears 11 Major Proposals to Boost Rural Infrastructure and Development

The Odisha Cabinet has approved 11 key proposals across five departments, focusing on rural drinking water, irrigation, transport, power, and labour reforms.

The Rural Drinking Water Supply O&M Policy 2026 was introduced to ensure reliable services, with defined roles for local authorities, user fees, water quality testing, and digital monitoring through SCADA and IoT systems.

A centralised command centre will safeguard investments and support the Har Ghar Jal mission.

In irrigation, the Cabinet cleared multiple projects, including the Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Scheme (Clusters 27, 30, and 38) and the Hadua Irrigation Project in Cuttack.

Together, these initiatives will irrigate over 20,000 hectares across more than 200 villages, enabling farmers to adopt high-value crops through micro-irrigation.

Transport infrastructure will see a major upgrade under the Atal Bus Stand Scheme, with Rs 3,400 crore allocated to modernise 318 bus stands statewide.

Power supply will be strengthened through a Rs 1,647 crore MVA substation in Keonjhar.

Labour reforms were also approved, exempting Assistant Labour Officers and Rural Labour Inspectors appointed before 2010 from departmental exams.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg stated that these decisions will accelerate rural development, improve agricultural productivity, and enhance public services, directly benefiting lakhs of farmers and villagers.