Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Launches LAccMI Bus Service in Five More Districts

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to enhance rural connectivity and empower communities, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative (LAccMI) bus service in Subarnapur, Cuttack, Jharsuguda, Kandhamal, and Sambalpur districts. The inauguration, conducted through video conferencing, marked a significant step towards establishing a seamless public transport network across the state.

Expressing the government’s commitment to ease the lives of rural residents, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik highlighted that the LAccMI bus service is designed to facilitate daily household chores at a low cost. He emphasized its role in addressing communication challenges in villages and acknowledged that the scheme was initiated based on the valuable feedback from the common people, particularly after the visit of 5T Chairman and officers of the Chief Minister’s Office.

The LAccMI bus service, now operational in 700 panchayats across the five districts, comprises a fleet of 205 buses. Since its launch, it has benefited approximately 44 lakh people, providing affordable and accessible transportation solutions.

Key highlights of the LAccMI bus service:

Subarnapur: 58 buses benefiting 5.73 lakh people in 102 panchayats.
Cuttack: 48 buses benefiting 18.37 lakh people in 261 panchayats.
Jharsuguda: 16 buses benefiting 5.62 lakh people in 76 panchayats.
Kandhamal: 52 buses benefiting 7.3 lakh people in 164 panchayats.
Sambalpur: 31 buses benefiting 7.28 lakh people.
The initiative envisions a seamless public transport network, connecting Gram Panchayat (GP) levels to blocks. The scheme aims to roll out more than 1000 buses, with women associated with Mission Shakti overseeing the management part of the project.

Chief Minister Patnaik underscored the importance of LAccMI in strengthening the village economy, making every panchayat a development hub. He also praised the LAccMI bus service for playing a crucial role in this economic enhancement.

Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu highlighted that LAccMI bus service is not just about transportation but is a successful effort towards empowering and enriching rural women, creating opportunities for them to realize their potential.

The LAccMI bus service offers various benefits, including connecting people, strengthening social and economic life, facilitating school and college transportation, connecting farmers to markets, and providing affordable travel for mothers and students at only 5 rupees.

During the event, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also discussed the recently launched Sri Jagannath Express Bus Service, aimed at facilitating darshan of Mahaprabhu Sri Jagannath and experiencing the Srimandir Corridor Project. He announced a 50% concession in ticket fares for women traveling through this service.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by Health and Family Welfare Minister Niranjan Pujari, MLA Padmanava Behara, Cuttack MLA Debi Prasad Mishra, MLA Chandra Sarathi Behera, Jharsuguda MLA Dipali Das, MLA Alka Mohanty, Kandhamal MP Achyuta Samanta, and MLA Chakramani Kanhar.

The LAccMI bus service, initially inaugurated in Malkangiri district, signifies the government’s dedication to enhancing rural connectivity, fostering economic development, and creating a stronger and more prosperous Odisha.