Bhubaneswar: State government’s historic rural-to urban connectivity scheme, Location Accessible Multimodal Initiative (LAccMI), now covers 20 districts with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launching the affordable bus service in six more districts – Khurda, Puri, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Nayagarh, Thursday. As many as 238 buses will connect 1,363 gram panchayats of the six districts, benefitting over 60 lakh people.
In Khurda, a fleet of 28 buses (22 non-AC and six AC) will enhance connectivity across 154 gram panchayats. Over 15 lakh people in the region will be benefitted from the affordable bus service. As many as 54 buses (44 nonAC and 10 AC) will improve connectivity across 433 gram panchayats of Puri – the abode of Lord Jagannath and one of the biggest tourist destinations of eastern India, benefitting over 14 lakh people of the region. In a boost to Kendrapara’s connectivity, a fleet of 43 LAccMI buses (35 non-AC and eight AC) will improve road communication across 196-gram panchayats. The state government’s move will benefit at least 11 lakh people of the region.
In Bhadrak, a fleet of 31 buses (25 non-AC and six AC) will improve connectivity across 158 gram panchayats, benefitting over 15 lakh people of the district. A fleet of 46 buses (37 nonAC and none AC) will boost the connectivity across 233 gram p a n ch ayat s in Jajpur. In Nayagarh, 29 non-AC buses and seven with AC will connect 189 gram panchayats. State government’s affordable bus service will benefit over 20 lakh people in both districts.
On February 12, Patnaik launched the affordable bus service in Mayurbhanj, Bolangir, Bargarh, Keonjhar, and Sundargarh districts. As many as 425 buses will ply on different routes in 1,457 panchayats, benefitting more than 90 lakh people in these districts. The affordable bus service was first launched in Malkangiri district on October 12, 2023. It was later extended to Gajapati district (October 20), Kalahandi district (November 1), Rayagada district (November 25), Nabarangpur district (November 30), Koraput district (December 14). The services were further extended to Deogarh, Angul and Dhenkanal districts January 31.