Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the LAccMI bus service in Koraput district on Thursday. A fleet of 63 state-of-the-art buses will connect 234 panchayats of the district under the scheme for the benefit of people in rural areas.
The scheme, first started in Malkangari district under the 5T initiative, facilitates bus service from panchayats to blocks in every district at a fare of just Rs 5. As per plan, more than 1,000 Laxmi buses will run across the state and they will be operated by Mission Shakti members, official sources said.
Addressing the people of the Koraput, the Chief Minister said the first phase of the LAccMI bus service started from Malkangari and now it has reached Koraput. In the first phase, 63 lakh residents in 1,131 panchayats of Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Gajapati, and Koraput districts got the benefits of the service. The Chief Minister said that daily hassles for transit would be eased and people can now commute at low cost.
This scheme has been started after knowing about the transportation problems of the people during district visits by the CMO officials. LAccMI buses will connect everyone. It will take children to school and college, patients to the hospitals, and connect farmers to markets. Mothers will also have access to various activities. The Chief Minister said that the bus service is a blessing for everyone as it facilitates development, the CM said
Stating that the progress of the state lies in the development of villages, Naveen said new awakening has come in the panchayats through the ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’ programme. Digital infrastructure has evolved along with the spread of Jagannath culture, he said adding that development has become a mass movement and panchayats today and the Laxmi bus scheme has become the heart of development programmes. The transformation of the village has paved the way for the transformation of Odisha, he said
Stating that this development belongs to all of us, the Chief Minister expressed the hope that a new Odisha will be possible with the cooperation of all.
5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman VK Pandian said the buses of LAccMI scheme were bought with the money of the people of the state and everyone should treat it as own property and take proper care of the vehicles.
Speaking on the occasion, Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu said development is taking place in all areas of the state. From the village to the city, everywhere there is development and LAccMI bus scheme will bring prosperity to rural areas by facilitating transportation.
