Bhubaneshwar: With a view to facilitating transport in remote and inaccessible locations, the Odisha government is set to launch Location Accessible Multimodal Initiative (LAccMI) in the state soon.

LAccMI was one of the 20 new initiatives with a cumulative outlay of Rs 7,202 crore announced by the Odisha government in the 2023-24 budget.

 A provision of Rs 100 crore was made for the initiative. The Commerce and Transport department has decided to focus on intra-block and intra-district connectivity initially and to further integrate the same with inter-city bus operations. The scheme would be valid and applicable for at least 10 years.
Public transportation in rural parts of Odisha depend on private bus operators, despite the fact that around 500 buses of Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) are operating on 317 routes, mostly connecting the district headquarters towns. In view of the dynamism of the scheme, OSRTC has been advised to enhance its capability for efficient implementation and monitoring of the scheme, which will be implemented in two phases.

The Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) would prepare a detailed project report to explore various collaborative opportunities and connectivity framework for each gram panchayat.

The first phase of operation will start from October 2 on Gandhi Jayanti especially in remote regions having no or less public transport connectivity. It will be gradually extended to all regions by January 2024. In 2014, the state government had launched Biju Gaon Gadi Yojana to provide transport facilities to people living in rural Odisha.

It has also been decided to extend the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for transportation of accident patients, who need trauma care within the golden hour. /BI/