Majhi launches ‘Bikashita Gaon, Bikashita Odisha’ scheme for rural development

The ‘Bikashita Gaon Bikashita Odisha’ scheme will have an allocation of ₹5,000 crore over a five-year period

Updated on: Feb 5, 2025, 21:08:42 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday launched ‘Bikashita Gaon Bikashita Odisha’ for rural infrastructure developmental projects in the state.

Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi during inauguration of ’Bikashita Gaon Bikashita Odisha’ (BGBO) scheme in Jankia of Khordha district on Wednesday. (PTI/Odisha I&PR Dept)

Launching the scheme at a function in Khordha district’s Jankia, Majhi said his government was committed to the development of every village. “We need to keep politics and development separate. “The previous government that ruled 24 years in Odisha had conspired to create a vote bank in the name of 5T. However, the BJP government will continue fighting against poverty and backwardness. Under the ‘Bikashita Gaon Bikashita Odisha’ scheme, each village will be developed within five years.” he said.

The programme will have a ₹5,000 crore budget for five years. The government has provisioned ₹1,000 crore for 2024-25. The scheme focuses on critical areas such as road connectivity, civic amenities, educational facilities, and micro tourism development.

The scheme is similar to those launched by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik in 2018 and 2023. In September 2018, the Biju Janata Dal government started the ‘Ama Gaon Ama Bikash’ (AGAB) scheme to accelerate local development through small and essential projects of local importance and providing missing links to existing development infrastructure. Projects, which were expected to contribute to the overall development of the community and wellbeing of the general public, were to be taken up under the scheme.

But the funding for the scheme dried up after two years. In contrast to the ₹1250 crore allocated to the scheme in 2018, the allocation reduced to ₹400 crore in 2019-20. No allocation was made for the scheme in subsequent years.

An audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General into Ama Gaon Ama Bikash scheme later said projects were approved at the state level without supporting documents. This apart, the projects were neither consolidated at panchayat or block levels nor based on suggestions made by local people or public representatives. The CAG audit said projects were selected without the involvement of beneficiaries or their representatives, in a manner that was not compliant with the AGAB guidelines.

In 2023-24, the Naveen Patnaik government changed the name of the scheme to Ama Odisha Naveen Odisha and allocated ₹3,551 crore. of which ₹3,300 crore could be spent.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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