Odisha approves Rs 905.19 for urban projects

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government on Thursday approved nine projects worth Rs 905.19 crore for infrastructure development in urban local bodies in the state.

The projects were approved under Odisha Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (OUIDF) at its 8th board of trustees meeting held under the chairmanship of chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi.

Considering the infrastructural need, social utility and environmental impact of the proposed projects, the board approved the projects setting time lines for their completion.

Padhi advised the departments to mobilise the ULBs to avail and utilise this facility for enhancing their revenue sources.

Padhi also asked to incentivize the better performing ULBs for encouraging other to follow the suit.

The chief secretary further advised promoting eco-friendly projects like laying of road tops with the material produced from waste plastics.

The department was also asked to make appropriate waste treatment and disposal systems in the fish and meat markets.

Padhi said that the budget for such waste disposal structures should be factored in the project proposal for wet markets.

Development Commissioner R. Balakrishnan advised developing a model wet-market project proposal for replication in other ULBs.

The model project added Balakrishnan, should have centralised lucker type facility for individual fish sellers. The maintenance of the markets including payment of power bills should be made by the user society of the concerned market.

The approved projects included the proposal for establishment of 2 Modern Wet Market at Unit-IV and Ghatikia in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, setting up 56 numbers of vending zones by side of the road leading to Engineering school in Cuttack Municipal Corporation, construction of market complex at Ganesh Market in Udala NAC, construction of market complex at Patrapada in Sundargarh, development of sewerage system in east and west towns of Rourkela, improvement of water supply to graeter Berhampur and augmentation of water supply to Gopalpur NAC.

The total estimated cost of these projects is Rs.905.19 crore out of which OUIDF would provide Rs. 249.02 cr including loan component of Rs.126.81 crore and Viable Gap Funding (VGF) of Rs.122.21cr.

The meeting also reviewed the progress of the projects approved earlier by the Board. The prominent among them were modern abattoir at Gadakana in BMC, sewerage system at Sambalpur, sewerage system at Rourkela, solid waste management project at Berhampur, affordable housing projects at Chandrasekharpur and Ghatikia in BMC, bulk water supply project for IIT, NISER, Infocity-II, Jatani and Khurda, water supply in Berhampur municipal corporation , reclamation of 14 water bodies in Bhubaneswar, reclamation of 3 water bodies in Berhampur , fish markets at 2 locations in Sambalpur, reclamation of 7 water bodies in Sambalpur and regional municipal solid waste processing facility for Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

The chief secretary directed to follow up the projects through field supervision and accomplish the milestones set as per the time schedule. Available data shows a total amount of Rs.383 cr has been disbursed from OUIDF as loan and VGF against these projects.