Responding to the Centre’s 500 Smart Cities scheme, the State government of Odisha has selected nine urban areas to be covered under Centre’s new development scheme, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). These are among the 500 cities selected across the country.
Besides the five municipal corporations of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela and Sambalpur, Puri, Bhadrak, Balasore and Baripada have also been selected under AMRUT scheme. The AMRUT scheme would focus on water supply, sewerage facilities and septage management, storm water drains to reduce flooding, strengthening of public transport facilities and creating public amenities like parks and recreation clubs. The Centre would grant 80% fund for each project, the state government would bear the remaining 20%.