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Bhubaneswar, June 30: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday dedicated 100 urban pipewater supply projects and eight Aahar centres in the state and launched the city bus service for Koraput district at an event at the secretariat here.
“The state government is committed to providing equitable, affordable, sustainable and safe water to the urban population, including the urban poor, in a time-bound manner,” Patnaik said.
“We have set a target of achieving the bench mark of 135 liters water per capita per day with 100 per cent coverage of urban households,” he said.
“The 100 water supply projects implemented at an investment of `30.71 crore will benefit about 2 lakh people in 46 urban local bodies, including four municipal corporations in the state,” said housing and urban development (H&UD) minister Pushpendra Singhdeo.
The Chief Minister also dedicated eight new Aahar centres set up on the premises of the Nilagiri Sub Divisional Hospital in Balasore district, the sub divisional hospital at Kamakhyanagar in Dhenkanal district, Chandikhol Chhak in Jajpur district, Bypass Chhak near Pattamundai in Kendrapara district, the court premises in Anandpur of Keonjhar district, the new bus stand at Karanjia and in front of the block office at Udala in Mayurbhanj district and the new hospital premises at Konark in Puri district.
Patnaik said the Rs 5 meal scheme of the H&UD department was first launched in five municipal corporations April 1, 2015. In the first phase, 21 Aahar outlets were opened in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela and Sambalpur municipal corporations. Later, the scheme was extended to all 30 districts with the setting up of 100 more Aahar centres.
The Chief Minister also launched the city bus service for Koraput-Jeypore-Sunabeda civic bodies in Koraput district. The bus service will also touch Damonjodi town in the district.
The bus service will be managed by a special purpose vehicle (SPV) called the Jeypore, Koraput, Sunabeda Urban Transport Trust (JKSUTT).
In the first phase, JKSUTT will operate 20 city buses at a cost of `5.20 crore connecting Koraput, Jeypore and Sunabeda. This will benefit about two-lakh people.
The buses will have CCTV cameras and public information system installed, said Singhdeo.