Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday informed the Assembly that 56,831 road accidents occurred in the state between 2020 and 2024, leaving 27,167 people dead and 50,041 injured.
Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, in a written reply to BJP MLA from Jharsuguda Tankadhar Tripathy, said the state has been taking systematic steps to curb road mishaps. As part of this initiative, the government signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Madras in December 2024 to roll out road safety awareness programmes and technical interventions.
Under the MoU, the state has sanctioned ₹11.89 crore over three years. In addition, the government will bear the costs of travel, accommodation, and organization of road safety programmes by IIT Madras officials in Odisha.
Citing early results, the minister said that July 2025 recorded 18 fewer accidents and 76 fewer injuries compared to July 2024, reflecting the initial impact of the measures suggested by IIT Madras.
