Odisha cabinet approves two mega drinking water projects in Bargarh

BHUBANESWAR: In a major infrastructure push, the Odisha cabinet headed by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday approved two mega drinking water projects in Bargarh district with combined cost of Rs 723 crore.
These two projects would benefit nearly 7.5 lakh people in six blocks of the district.
The two projects are aimed to benefit people in 66 panchayats under three blocks in the Bijepur assembly constituency, where chief minister Naveen Patnaik had fought the 2019 assembly election as his second seat and later vacated.
The mega drinking water projects is in sync with Naveen’s promise to personally monitor the development in the constituency, said official sources.
The projects will also benefit people in other blocks like Attabira, Bheden and Bargarh blocks of the district.
While infrastructure major L&T, Chennai has been selected as the implementing agency for one project with an investment of Rs 508 crore, Warangal-based KEC-Kaveri has been selected as the agency to implement another project by investing Rs 215 crore. Both the projects are expected to be completed in 24 months.
The projects will be funded by the state government under the BASUDHA scheme, said official sources.
The cabinet also approved tenders for construction of 100-seated new government medical college and teaching hospital at Phulbani in Kandhamal district and 650-beded teaching hospital for new government medical college at Koraput. The projects are aimed to cater to the healthcare needs of the people in the tribal-dominated districts and to improve the medical education system in the state.
Shapoorji Pallonji will implement the project on turnkey basis with an investment of Rs 680 crore on turnkey basis while the construction is expected to complete in 36 months, said chief secretary Asit Tripathy.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had announced medical college for Kandhamal district in October, last year. With around 8 lakh population, MKCG medical college and hospital in Berhampur is the nearest referral hospital for the people of Kandhamal, which is around 170 km away from the district.
Availing basic healthcare facility is a challenge for the people in Kandhamal as many of the villages are yet to get all-weather roads. The proposed medical college at Kandhamal would also cater to the healthcare needs of people from Boudh, parts of Nayagarh, Gajapati and Rayagada districts.
Among others, the state cabinet also approved other proposals like government equity investment in OPTCL, amendment of Odisha Professional Educational Institutions Act, 2007 to regulate fee fixation, promoting agriculture entrepreneurship and settlement of arrear electricity duties of state government departments.