Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Friday announced the Atal Bus Stand scheme to establish bus stands across the state with a budgetary provision of Rs 3,400 crore for a period of six years.
The proposed modern bust stands will feature facilities such as digital information display boards, hygienic waiting rooms and commercial spaces, officials said.
At a state Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the scheme was approved along with 10 other proposals of various departments, Chief Secretary Anu Garg told mediapersons.
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The scheme, named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was launched with the objective of construction, development, renovation, operation, maintenance & management of all public bus stands across the state, she said.
The government aims to bring all public bus stands of the state under one umbrella management of the “Atal Bus Stand” scheme, including all existing bus stands, to ensure uniformity in development, renovation, operation, maintenance and management across the state, Garg said.
The bus stands included in the scheme will be designated and notified as public transport infrastructure to be used both by government and private bus operators, she said.
The top bureaucrat said that Atal Bus Stands will be established across the state at the levels of district headquarters, sub-divisional towns, and tourist and other key locations in Odisha. The bus stops will be categorised into “A”, “B” and “C” classes.
The scheme will be implemented by Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) under the Commerce & Transport department.
A total budget of Rs 3,400 crore till the financial year 2031-32 has been approved for the scheme, she added.