Bhubaneswar, Oct 11: The Odisha Cabinet in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday approved a new State sector scheme titled Swachha Odisha, allocating Rs 1,600 crore over five years (FY 2025–26 to FY 2029–30) to integrate and reinforce sanitation initiatives in urban areas throughout the state.

According to an official statement, “The introduction of 'Swachha Odisha' aims to simplify procedures related to project implementation, funding and monitoring by consolidating various sanitation initiatives into a unified scheme.”

The objective of the scheme is to bring together existing sanitation initiatives -- such as Solid Waste Management, liquid Waste Management, and Urban Septage Systems -- into one unified framework.

This integration is expected to improve efficiency through better coordination, simplify implementation processes, and ensure smoother funding and monitoring operations.

The Swachha Odisha initiative underscores the state government’s commitment to creating clean and waste-free cities in the state.

It aims to empower 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.

Officials stated that the scheme will be implemented in phases, with a focus on comprehensive coverage and measurable impact across Odisha’s urban landscape.

It is pertinent here to mention that the Odisha Cabinet during a meeting held under the chairmanship of CM Majhi on Friday gave its nod to 15 proposals of ten departments including the approval of Odisha Jan Vishwas Ordinance, 2025.

In a major decision, the Odisha cabinet gave its nod to the proposal to a Rs 163 crore procurement plan for printing paper to supply free textbooks to students across government, aided, and private unaided schools for the 2026–27 academic session.

(IANS)

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