Latest news with #MukhyamantriBusSeva
Time of India
20-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Bargarh bus services hit by driver strike
Sambalpur: Public transport under the Mukhyamantri Bus Seva scheme came to a standstill in Bargarh district on Tuesday as drivers of all 57 buses launched an indefinite strike over long hours, low pay, and wage cuts during local holidays. "Our duty starts at 6 am and stretches till 7 to 8 pm, which goes far beyond an eight-hour workday," said Ugrasen Sahu, president of the district drivers' association. Bikram Sahu, district manager of Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC), said the actual duty hours fall within limits once rest breaks are considered. He added that driver recruitment and management fall under the purview of the private operator, not OSRTC. The private operator managing the Mukhyamantri Bus Seva fleet issued show cause notices to the drivers, warning of termination if they fail to justify their absence. However, Sayad Aslam, secretary of the drivers' association, maintained that they had given prior notice of the strike and had been raising their demands for the past three months. The service disruption severely impacted local commuters. "I had to return home because no buses arrived. Private buses don't reach our area," said Namita Kalet, a Padampur resident who needed to visit the block office. Another commuter, Naresh Behera, missed a scheduled bank appointment due to the suspended bus services. Bikram Sahu, district manager of Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC), said the actual duty hours fall within limits once rest breaks are considered. He also clarified that driver recruitment and management fall under the purview of the private operator, not OSRTC.
Hans India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Cabinet approves plan to build 500 km disaster-resilient roads
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to launch a new scheme to build disaster-resilient roads of 500 km with an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore, an official said. The State Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved eight proposals, including the above scheme, during its meeting held on Wednesday evening. The main objective of the scheme is to build resilient road infrastructure to ensure minimal disruption in connectivity during and after disasters, enabling unhindered access to emergency operational services in disaster-affected areas of the State, said Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja. These roads will be durable enough to withstand damage due to disasters with minimum maintenance. The roads will serve as a lifeline in disaster-prone areas, he said. Ahuja said the scheme will be implemented over a period of five years from financial year 2025-26 to 2029-30, with an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 200 crore each year). The Cabinet also gave its nod to another new scheme, 'Constituency-wise Allocation' (CWA) in Odisha. The objective of this scheme is to construct/improve rural development (RD) roads under 142 Assembly constituencies in the State, he said. The scheme will be implemented over a period of three years from 2024-25 fiscal to 2026-27 fiscal, with an outlay of Rs 426 crore. The State Cabinet has approved the scheme named as 'Mukhyamantri Bus Seva' (MBS) to provide safe, reliable, affordable and efficient public transport bus connectivity to all strategic places of the State. The government will provide 50 per cent concession in ticket fares in both non-AC and AC bus services for women, transgender, students, persons with disability (PwDs) and senior citizens, he said, adding, a total of Rs 3,278 crore has been allocated for the scheme for three years. This bus service would connect with all important business centres, educational and medical hubs and other places of public interest within and outside the State, the Chief Secretary said. The Cabinet has also approved the proposal to continue the 'Nirmal: Strengthening ancillary services at public health facilities' scheme for a period of five years, with an estimated budget of Rs 5,174.79 crore. The scheme aims to provide better ambience and quality care to patients at public health facilities across the State, Ahuja said. Another proposal of the Health department to continue the NIDAAN, free diagnostic and dialysis services scheme, has also been approved by the government. A total of Rs 2,459.51 crore has been allocated for the scheme for five years to enhance free diagnostic and dialysis services at public health facilities across the State, he added. It was decided in the Cabinet meeting to bear the cost of Rs 2,021.87 crore from the State budget for management of bio-medical waste of public healthcare facilities, Ahuja said. The government has created 113 new posts in the Odisha Veterinary Technical Service cadre. With this, the cadre strength has been enhanced to 4,158, officials said.
The Print
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Odisha Cabinet approves proposal to build 500 km disaster-resilient roads
The main objective of the scheme is to build resilient road infrastructure to ensure minimal disruption in connectivity during and after disasters, enabling unhindered access to emergency operational services in disaster-affected areas of the state, said chief secretary Manoj Ahuja. The state cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved eight proposals, including the above scheme, during its meeting held on Wednesday evening. Bhubaneswar, May 8 (PTI) The Odisha government has decided to launch a new scheme to build disaster-resilient roads of 500 km with an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore, an official said. These roads will be durable enough to withstand damage due to disasters with minimum maintenance. The roads will serve as a lifeline in disaster-prone areas, he said. Ahuja said the scheme will be implemented over a period of five years from financial year 2025-26 to 2029-30, with an outlay of Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 200 crore each year). The cabinet also gave its nod to another new scheme, 'Constituency-wise Allocation' (CWA) in Odisha. The objective of this scheme is to construct /improve rural development (RD) roads under 142 Assembly constituencies in the state, he said. The scheme will be implemented over a period of three years from 2024-25 fiscal to 2026-27 fiscal, with an outlay of Rs 426 crore. The state cabinet has approved the scheme named as 'Mukhyamantri Bus Seva' (MBS) to provide safe, reliable, affordable and efficient public transport bus connectivity to all strategic places of the state. The government will provide 50 per cent concession in ticket fares in both non-AC and AC bus services for women, transgender, students, persons with disability (PwDs) and senior citizens, he said, adding, a total of Rs 3,278 crore has been allocated for the scheme for three years. This bus service would connect with all important business centres, educational and medical hubs and other places of public interest within and outside the state, the chief secretary said. The cabinet has also approved the proposal to continue the 'Nirmal: Strengthening ancillary services at public health facilities' scheme for a period of five years, with an estimated budget of Rs 5,174.79 crore. The scheme aims to provide better ambience and quality care to patients at public health facilities across the state, Ahuja said. Another proposal of the Health department to continue the NIDAAN, free diagnostic and dialysis services scheme, has also been approved by the government. A total of Rs 2,459.51 crore has been allocated for the scheme for five years to enhance free diagnostic and dialysis services at public health facilities across the state, he added. It was decided in the cabinet meeting to bear the cost of Rs 2,021.87 crore from the state budget for management of bio-medical waste of public healthcare facilities, Ahuja said. The government has created 113 new posts in the Odisha Veterinary Technical Service cadre. With this, the cadre strength has been enhanced to 4,158, officials said. PTI BBM BBM RG This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Time of India
50% bus fare concession for women, students, transgenders, disabled & elderly
Bhubaneswar: The cabinet on Tuesday approved 50% concession in bus fare for women, students, transgenders, persons with disabilities and senior citizens under the Mukhyamantri Bus Seva (MBS) initiative, aimed at improving rural connectivity and ensuring safe, reliable and efficient transport across the state, will be operated and monitored by the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC). The concession will be applicable to both AC and non-AC buses running under the MBS from fare subsidies, the buses will be equipped with advanced safety features such as CCTV cameras, panic buttons, live vehicle tracking, passenger information systems, and advanced driver assistance systems. TNN
