Bhubaneswar: The state government Tuesday sanctioned 41 projects worth Rs 143.34 crore for expansion of basic facilities in nine cities and towns under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
The proposals were sanctioned at the second state-level high powered steering committee meeting under AMRUT chaired by Chief Secretary AP Padhi here at the secretariat.
The major cities and towns where these projects will be implemented are Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Berhampur, Puri, Baripada, Balasore, Sambalpur and Bhadrak, according to officials.
The state government will lay emphasis on projects such as expansion of drinking water supply, transport facility, development of drainage and sewage system and modernisation of parks and public places.
The Centre and the state will bear the financial burden of the projects in a 50:50 ratio.
The Centre has sanctioned `45.63 crore in this regard so far, while the state government has provided `91crore to the Orissa Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (OUIDF) to take up the projects.
The Chief Secretary asked officials of the H&UD department to develop an online tax deposit system in big cities such as Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. He also asked officials to simplify the process of tax collection and ensure participation of 90 per cent of the residents in this process. PNN