Bhubaneswar: Marking National Road Safety Month, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday unveiled a sweeping set of initiatives aimed at strengthening road safety, modernising urban transport, and accelerating infrastructure development, while inaugurating and laying foundation stones for projects worth over ₹6,700 crore.
Addressing a state-level programme at the Convention Hall of Lok Seva Bhawan, the Chief Minister expressed serious concern over the rising number of road accidents in Odisha and across the country, and called upon citizens to strictly adhere to traffic rules. Declaring road safety as an integral component of good governance from today onwards, he said the government would pursue the issue with greater seriousness and accountability.
Majhi said the state’s road safety strategy is centred on the four globally recognised ‘E’s—Education, Enforcement, Engineering and Emergency response—focusing on awareness and training, strict rule enforcement, improved infrastructure and vehicle safety engineering, and prompt medical assistance during accidents. Expanding this framework, he proposed two additional ‘E’s: Environment, by enforcing pollution norms and promoting cleaner mobility, and Evaluation, to assess outcomes of existing measures and refine policies accordingly.
To institutionalise accountability and encourage best practices, the Chief Minister announced the launch of the Mukhyamantri Sadak Surakhya Yojana Samman, under which districts, educational institutions and non-governmental organisations will be recognised for exemplary initiatives in road safety. High-performing districts will be rewarded, while those lagging behind will be held accountable. Schools and institutions demonstrating effective safety interventions will also be honoured, with the aim of spreading awareness across all sections of society.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative for ghat road safety, Majhi inaugurated an alert siren system at Kalinga Ghat. As part of a pilot project, sirens will sound from both ends of the ghat when vehicles approach, warning drivers in advance. If successful, the system will be replicated across other ghat roads in the state.
Strengthening urban traffic management, an MoU was signed with IIT Kharagpur to improve traffic systems in the Cuttack–Bhubaneswar Twin City, with future interventions to be guided by the institute’s technical recommendations.
Reinforcing the government’s push towards sustainable mobility, the Chief Minister inaugurated 15 electric vehicle charging stations in Bhubaneswar. He noted that 85 more charging stations are currently under construction across Odisha and will be commissioned soon, with further expansion planned.
Public transport infrastructure also received a major boost with the inauguration of 14 new Atal Bus Stands across 10 districts, built at a cost of ₹156.53 crore. With 55 such bus stands already operational, Majhi said the government plans to establish Atal Bus Stands in all districts, sub-divisions, panchayat samitis and municipalities in the coming days.
The Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) flagged off 100 new BS-VI compliant modern buses worth ₹46 crore to replace ageing vehicles, alongside the launch of a Closed Loop Smart Transit Card system enabling cashless ticketing and seamless travel for passengers. Additionally, 25 new e-buses were flagged off from a state-of-the-art CRUT depot in Berhampur, which will serve the city and surrounding areas.
On the infrastructure front, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for a ₹952-crore elevated corridor from Jayadev Vihar to Nandankanan in Bhubaneswar, including four flyovers at Jayadev Vihar, Kalinga Hospital, Damana and KIIT squares. The project is expected to significantly ease congestion along one of the capital’s busiest corridors. He also laid the foundation stone for an ultra-modern Lok Seva Bhawan campus spread over 71.13 acres, which will house both the Secretariat and the State Legislative Assembly, designed for 300 seats in view of future delimitation. The project is estimated to cost ₹3,623 crore.
Overall, projects worth around ₹6,700 crore were inaugurated or launched by the Works Department, including foundation stones for 39 projects worth about ₹5,630 crore and the inauguration of 32 completed projects worth approximately ₹1,070 crore.
During the programme, the Chief Minister handed over car keys to five women drivers under the Ama Subahak Yojana, which provides government-guaranteed loans for purchasing vehicles. Concluding his address, Majhi appealed for collective responsibility in ensuring safer roads, urging citizens to adopt the slogan: “Drive Safe, Come Home Safe.”
Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhushan Jena said road accidents have emerged as a global challenge and can be curbed through education, enforcement, technology and behavioural change. Works and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said the New Road Policy would ensure wider, pothole-free roads and faster traffic clearance across the state.
Several ministers, senior officials and public representatives attended the programme, with ministers from various districts joining virtually.
