Naveen Patnaik flags off new buses for Maoist-hit areas

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday flagged off 32 new buses which will operate in the Maoist-hit areas of Odisha under 'Biju Gaon Gadi Yojana'. The new 40 seater buses will add to the existing fleet of 25 buses. The new buses will operate in undivided Koraput, Ganjam and Kandhamal districts.

"At present, 25 buses are in service in these areas. On Tuesday, 32 new buses will start operating in undivided Koraput, Ganjam and Kandhamal districts. This bus service will certainly be of great help to the people of these areas," Patnaik said.

As many as six vehicles will ply to Nabarangpur while nine and two buses will connect Jeypore and Berhampur respectively. Rayagada got nine buses while Malkangiri and Kandhamal received three vehicles each.

The government had decided to purchase 100 buses under the scheme launched in 2013-14 with an objective of improving accessibility to remote, tribal and backward regions of the state.

"The State government plans to procure 100 buses under the scheme. While 25 were already bought which are in service, 32 more were added today. Another 43 vehicles will be brought in to increase connectivity to the Naxal-hit areas soon," Transport minister Ramesh Majhi said. He said that 71 routes in the left wing extremism- affected areas were identified for plying of such buses.