60 projects worth more than Rs 18,000 crore sanctioned from OMBADC fund: Official

The Odisha government has sanctioned 60 projects worth more than Rs 18,000 crore from Odisha Mineral Bearing Area Development Corporation (OMBADC) funds till October this year, an official said. OMBADC chief executive officer G Rajesh said this during the meeting of the board of directors of the corporation held under the chairmanship of chief secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena on Thursday.

OMBADC, a special-purpose vehicle of the Government of Odisha, was incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013 in December 2014.

Rajesh said that the board has approved 60 projects under different sectors amounting to more than Rs 18,000 crore against the total collection of Rs 20,700 crore till October 2023.

The 18 departments, which are executing the OMBADC projects, have utilised 72 per cent of the released amount which stands at Rs 10,868 crore, he said.

The highest expenditure of 93 per cent has been made by the Housing and Urban Development department followed by Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water and Rural Development with 84 per cent each.

The School and Mass Education department has reported the lowest expenditure of 63 per cent, while Fisheries and Animal Resources Development and Skill Development and Technical Education departments have utilised 73 per cent and 72 per cent of the fund, respectively.

More than 28,000 pucca houses have been allocated to eligible beneficiaries from the fund. Similarly, 58,000 households in eight mining districts are being supplied with taped water, the CEO said.

Several mega piped water supply projects, which were approved by the board earlier, are expected to be commissioned by the end of March 2024.

Under the fund, he said, one medical college and hospital is being constructed in Jajpur district which is going to be completed soon.

During the meeting, the board approved eight new proposals worth Rs 96 crore which include road projects in Morada constituency of Mayurbhanj district, one bridge over Bhandan river in Similipal forest, technology upgradation of government ITIs and polytechnics spread across eight mining districts and placement linking training programmes.

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