Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has renamed the long-running ‘Biju Setu Yojana’ as the ‘Setu Bandhan Yojana’ and approved its continuation for another five years from 2026-27 to 2030-31, officials said on Saturday.
The Rural Development Department has issued a formal notification giving effect to the renaming as well as the continuation of the rural bridge construction programme.
The Biju Setu Yojana was launched in 2011-12 with the objective of improving connectivity in rural areas by constructing bridges at locations where rivers, streams and other geographical barriers hindered the movement of people and vehicles.
The scheme has primarily focused on providing all-weather connectivity to villages and improving access to essential services and other destinations in areas lacking adequate bridge infrastructure.
Under the latest decision, bridge construction and other connectivity-related works will continue under the new name, Setu Bandhan Yojana, during the five-year period beginning 2026-27.
The Rural Development Department notification retains the broader objective of strengthening rural connectivity through bridge infrastructure while bringing the scheme under its new nomenclature.
