Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday introduced the ‘Bikashita Gaon, Bikashita Odisha’ (BGBO) initiative for the development of rural infrastructure in the State, with the aim of bridging the gap between villages and cities. He said that once the plan is put into action, residents in rural regions would have access to all the amenities found in cities.

The ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’ (AONO) initiative, which was introduced by the previous BJD administration, has been replaced by the BGBO scheme announced by the BJP government. According to Majhi, the state government has allocated Rs 1,000 crore for the fiscal year 2024–2025 under the BGBO plan, with an additional Rs 5,000 crore to be spent over five years. However, he said that despite the AONO scheme’s debut, the previous BJD administration made no financial provisions for it.

About 30 kilometers from Bhubaneswar, in the hamlet of Jankia, the Chief Minister introduced the plan.