Bhubaneswar: The Oversight Authority of state-run Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC) has approved 16 infrastructure projects worth Rs10,029 crore.
A meeting of the Oversight Authority was held recently under the chairmanship of Justice AK Patnaik here at state Guest House in presence of Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi.
Patnaik advised Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) to undertake ground water quality testing in OMBADC areas regularly.
The sanctioned projects included mega pipe water supply projects worth Rs 4230 crore, water supply projects of Rs116 crore, upgradation of infrastructure and quality enhancement in elementary & secondary education (Rs 1652 crore), development of educational infrastructure for ST and SC schools (Rs 225 crore) and quality enhancement in ITI and engineering schools (Rs 64 crore).
Similarly, the authority has also sanctioned Rs 1299 crore for upgradation of infrastructure in health institutions, Rs 1450 crore for strengthening of integrated child development services, Rs 6 crore for livelihood promotion through fishery activities, Rs 52 crore for enhancing livelihoods of the poor and Rs 13 crore for horticulture development.
Besides, Rs 525 crore has been given for construction of 187 roads and 46 bridges whereas Rs 20 crore allocated for installation of air ambience quality monitoring devices, Rs 10 crore for watershed management and Rs 369 crore for water conservation.
These projects will be implemented in the mineral bearing districts— Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Jajpur.
OMBADC chief executive officer Uma Nanduri appraised that Rs 869.42 crore has been sanctioned from CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) to OMBADC. So far, Rs 760 crore has already been utilised in different projects like drinking water, housing, skill development and afforestation activities.