Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has chalked out ambitious plans to establish multiple economic zones across the state under its ‘Quad City’ programme. The move is aimed to connect clusters of major urban centres which play a significant role in the state’s economy.
Sharing information about the plan, Housing and Urban Development Principal Secretary Usha Padhee told reporters on Monday that altogether four zones have been planned in the initial stage. Each zone will comprise four cities that contribute the most to the state’s GDP. The initiative is likely to boost economic activities in this region and help the overall economy of the state to grow.
Stating that expansion of the cities is not enough for development, she said economic activities must also increase substantially to ensure speedy growth and the plan for creating economic zones will play the role of a catalyst.
The first zone will integrate Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack and Paradip. This cluster is being designed as a major driver of urban and industrial growth, with the capital city, cultural hub, administrative centre and port town connected into one economic corridor, said Padhee.
Another zone is planned for western and southern Odisha, linking Sunabeda, Koraput, Sambalpur and Bargarh. Officials said the focus here will be on industrial expansion, agro-based enterprises and tribal economy development.
Similarly, the third zone will cover northern Odisha with Rourkela and the mineral-rich Keonjhar. This cluster is expected to strengthen the state’s steel and mining economy while creating new opportunities for infrastructure and employment.
Notably, the Quad City programme is being advanced through an internal state government committee in coordination with NITI Aayog. Deliberations are underway to finalise investment models, infrastructure requirements and implementation plans.