Odisha Govt Launches ₹5,000 Crore Rural Development Scheme ‘Bikashita Gaon Bikashita Odisha’

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has announced an ambitious rural development scheme, “Bikashita Gaon Bikashita Odisha,” aimed at addressing critical gaps in rural infrastructure and fostering inclusive growth across the state.

With a budgetary outlay of ₹5,000 crore over five years, including ₹1,000 crore allocated for 2024-25, the scheme focuses on sustainable projects to enhance rural connectivity, civic amenities, education and sports infrastructure, and micro-tourism.

A key priority of the initiative is the development of inter- and intra-village road networks to improve accessibility and connectivity. The scheme also envisions creating durable community assets and ensuring their upkeep through active community participation and supervision.

Under the scheme, Gram Sabhas will play a pivotal role in identifying need-based projects and formulating five-year perspective plans and annual action plans. These plans will be reviewed at the Gram Panchayat level and scrutinized by a Technical Committee at the Block level, with final approval from the District Collector.

To ensure the success of the scheme, the government has emphasized the involvement of local communities in the planning, implementation, and maintenance of assets. Community awareness programs will be conducted to ensure sustainable use and upkeep of the infrastructure created under the initiative.