Bhubaneswar, March 21 : The Odisha Cabinet has approved the 'Odisha State Road Policy, 2025' to ensure the effective implementation and monitoring of road networks across the state.

On Friday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in Odisha Assembly shared the details regarding the decisions taken by the state Cabinet during its meeting held here on Thursday.

CM Majhi said in the Assembly that the policy has been designed for the effective implementation and monitoring of the road network across Odisha.

Notably, the state Cabinet on Thursday approved ten proposals of seven departments including Health & Family Welfare, Steel and Mines, Works, General Administration, Water Resources, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, Revenue and Disaster Management.

CM Majhi noted in the assembly that the new State Road Policy will provide a framework for a high-quality road network in the state, which will ensure a well-organised system for proper development of roads for the safe, sustainable and efficient transportation of the common people and goods.

The policy will ensure the preparation of a list of directives/instructions for inter-departmental transfer of roads for better management, proper allocation of adequate funds for the proper management of road infrastructure in the state, and improvement of the safety of the road network to reduce accidents and fatalities in Odisha.

The policy also aims to strengthen the capacity of road sector organisations in planning, design, procurement, construction, maintenance and project management.

CM Majhi noted that the state government focuses on the development of bridges across Odisha proposed Odisha State Road Policy-2025.

He said that a 'Comprehensive Online Bridge Information System (BIS)' will be developed for the collection of details regarding all the bridges in the state on an online platform. Bridges will be evaluated annually in an advanced and modernized process.

Majhi told the House that the status of bridges will be regularly updated in the online Bridge Information System and Odisha Road Asset Management System.

In another significant decision, the state Cabinet also gave its nod for the budget outlay of Rs 27,019.25 crore for the implementation of the Centre's Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and the state-sponsored Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana for a period of five years - 2025-26 to 2029-30.

/IANS