Keonjhar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday launched projects worth Rs 1,330 crore, flagged off 25 advanced electric buses and inaugurated an 'Ama Bus' depot built at a cost of Rs 17 crore in his home district of Keonjhar.
The Chief Minister inaugurated 24 completed projects worth Rs 251 crore and laid the foundation stones for 62 new ones valued at Rs 705 crore. He also announced a Rs 375 crore package for 101 upcoming projects to accelerate Keonjhar's growth.
Launching the projects, Majhi said the biggest feature of this new e-bus service is its affordable fare, starting at just Rs 5. "It will be of great help to the lower and middle-class people who travel daily. All the buses are fully AC, and passenger safety has been given top priority. Each bus has CCTV cameras, panic buttons and GPS systems, so that passengers, especially women, can travel safely," he said.
Majhi said the project has proved to be a catalyst for women's empowerment. "Of the 150 people engaged in the project, 30 are women guides and 2 women drivers," he said. Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said Keonjhar has contributed a lot to the State, but in the recent past, the district was neglected.
Majhi said the process for setting up a mega steel plant in the district is in the final stages, with its foundation stone to be laid soon. He described the next 10 years as the "Decade of Resolve" for Odisha and stressed that Keonjhar will play a pivotal role in building a prosperous State by 2036.