The Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) would launch 30 more buses on December 31 in the Maoist-affected areas under the Biju Gaon Gadi Yojana (BGGY).
The bus service would be flagged off by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, OSRTC CMD Sanjeev Marik said on Tuesday. The new buses would ply on 28 routes in Sundargarh, Deogarh, Nuapada and Gajapati and Sundargarh districts,” he added.
The bus service under the BGGY is aimed at providing transport facility to remote areas in tribal and backward areas. The Government has earmarked Rs 21 crore for this purpose to launch 100 buses during the 2015-16 fiscal.
Earlier, 57 buses were introduced, and the number would go up to 87 with addition of the 30 more buses on Thursday. The remaining 13 would be launched in subsequent phases. As per sources, the Government had decided to introduce 33 buses on these identified routes on Thursday. However, 30 buses would ply for the time being as three buses are yet to be procured.
Earlier, 40-seater buses were introduced in Rayagada, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri, Kandhamal and Ganjam districts under the scheme.