Bhubaneswar: The state Cabinet on Friday approved the new state sector scheme “Swachha Odisha” with an outlay of Rs 1600 crore for five years from the current fiscal.
This scheme aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of sanitation efforts in the state by consolidating various initiatives into a unified framework, chief secretary Manoj Ahja told reporters after the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
The “Swachha Odisha” scheme aims to simplify procedures related to project implementation, funding, and monitoring by merging existing state plans such as Solid Waste Management, Used Water Management, and Urban Septage Systems, into a single scheme. This will support Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) by bridging funding gaps and aiming for comprehensive saturation across all urban sanitation verticals.
The scheme will also complement the ongoing Swachh Bharat initiative, thereby further strengthening the desired outcomes in urban cleanliness and sanitation. By making cities clean and free of waste, “Swachha Odisha” embodies the Government’s commitment to improving urban sanitation and cleanliness in Odisha.
At the 28th meeting of the state Cabinet, altogether 15 proposals from 10 different departments were discussed and approved during the session.
Among the proposals cleared, one related to the prorogation of the 4th session of the 17th Odisha Legislative Assembly, marking an administrative step in the Assembly’s ongoing proceedings.