Bhubaneswar: In a bid to enhance road safety and address the shortage of professionally trained heavy vehicle drivers, the Odisha Government has decided to establish three new Institutes of Driving Training & Research (IDTRs) in Angul, Sambalpur, and Koraput districts.
Each centre will come up at an estimated cost of ₹25 crore. The Commerce and Transport Department has written to the Collectors of the three districts, advising them to include these projects under the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) Rules for funding support.
A proposal has also been submitted to the Planning and Convergence Department to approve the projects from DMF resources. Following this, the department has instructed that the initiatives be forwarded to the DMF Trusts of the respective districts for implementation in line with the Odisha DMF Rules, Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) guidelines, and other relevant norms.
The Transport Commissioner has been tasked with preparing and submitting Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) to the DMF Trusts of Angul, Koraput, and Sambalpur for approval and fund release.
“Necessary steps may be taken for sanction and release of funds after receipt of the proposal from the Transport Commissioner,” wrote Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, Commerce & Transport Department, in her communication to the district administrations.
Under the Central scheme, the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) will provide ₹17.25 crore per IDTR as financial assistance. The remaining cost—around ₹7–8 crore per centre—will be met from DMF funds. Once the Central share is received, the DMF contributions will be reimbursed to the respective district Trusts.
Odisha currently operates four IDTRs at Chhatia (Jajpur), Berhampur (Ganjam), Keonjhar, and Bonai (Sundargarh). According to the Transport Department, drivers trained at these institutes have maintained an accident-free record, underscoring the effectiveness of the initiative.
With the establishment of the new centres, the state aims to further strengthen its driver training ecosystem, reduce road mishaps, and improve overall transport safety standards across Odisha.
