AMRUT projects worth Rs 1,409 crore completed in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha has taken up 191 projects worth Rs 1,715 crore under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme in nine cities and towns, Union Minister of State for Urban and Housing Kaushal Kishore informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

In a written reply to an unstarred question by Nabarangpur MP Ramesh Chandra Majhi, the Minister said 171 projects worth Rs 1,409 crore have been completed so far and 20 projects worth Rs 307 crore are under various stages of implementation.  

The towns and cities covered under the scheme that focuses on development of basic infrastructure in the sectors like water supply, sewerage and septage management, storm water drainage, parks and non-motorised transport are Bhadrak, Cuttack, Balasore, Puri, Bhubaneswar, Baripada, Berhampur, Rourkela and Sambalpur.

AMRUT scheme was launched on June 25, 2015  in 500 selected cities across all states/union territories (UTs) with focus on development of basic infrastructure in the sectors of water supply, sewerage and septage management, storm water drainage, green spaces and parks, and non-motorised urban transport.  

“The approved plan size of the State for AMRUT projects was Rs 1,599 crore, which includes committed Central assistance of Rs 797 crore. But the State has taken up 191 projects. The states/UTs implementing projects in excess of approved plan size, will have to bear the entire additional expenditure,” the Minister stated.

Against the targets of providing 2.91 lakh water tap connections to achieve universal coverage of water supply and 2.17 lakh sewer connections to enhance substantial sewerage network coverage in the nine AMRUT cities, Kishore informed that around 1.89 lakh new water tap connections and 3.81 lakh new sewer connections have been provided so far in convergence with other schemes.

While all 46 projects of Rs 339.44 crore in Bhubaneswar and 18 projects of Rs 225.24 crore in Berhampur have been completed, 20 projects in seven cities and towns are under progress. Of the highest 32 projects worth Rs 385 crore approved for Cuttack city, 24 projects worth Rs 213.73 crore have been completed.  

Five water supply projects in Cuttack, two in Puri, one in Rourkela and three in Sambalpur are under progress. “The projects under AMRUT are large infrastructure projects. Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic and natural calamities such as floods and cyclones affected the progress of the projects”, the Minister added.