Odisha Cabinet approves Bill to create Economic Region Development Authorities
BHUBANESWAR, AUGUST: The Odisha Cabinet has approved a proposal to introduce the Odisha Development Authorities (Amendment) Bill, 2026, paving the way for the creation of Economic Region Development Authorities to plan and manage multi-district economic corridors across the state.
The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Odisha Development Authorities Act, 1982, enabling the state government to notify and establish new economic regions without requiring separate legislation on each occasion.
Following approval of the amendment by the Odisha Assembly, the state will establish its first City Economic Region — the Bhubaneswar-Kataka-Puri-Paradeep Economic Region (BKPPER).
Developed as a pilot project in collaboration with NITI Aayog, BKPPER aims to integrate ports, industrial clusters, urban centres, logistics infrastructure and major cultural and religious destinations into a unified economic region to accelerate investment and development.
The Union Budget 2026-27 has recognised BKPPER as one of the country’s four key City Economic Regions expected to drive India’s economic growth, alongside Varanasi, Surat and Visakhapatnam.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said regional master plans would extend beyond conventional municipal boundaries to harness the economic strengths of adjoining districts, improve transport connectivity, enhance housing infrastructure and attract large-scale investments.
The Cabinet also approved the second phase of the Mukhya Mantri Janajati Jeevika Mission (MMJJM 2.0), expanding the flagship tribal livelihood programme to benefit around eight lakh Tribal and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) households.
The programme, which earlier covered 1.5 lakh households across 13 districts, will now be implemented in 19 districts covering 134 Tribal Sub-Plan and Micro Project Area blocks, 23 Integrated Tribal Development Agencies and 20 Micro Project Areas.
Scheduled to run from 2026-27 to 2030-31, the mission has a total financial outlay of ₹2,995 crore, fully funded by the State Government. Under the programme, each beneficiary household will receive financial assistance of ₹30,000 through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in two instalments.
Beneficiaries will be free to select livelihood activities suited to local resources, including agriculture, horticulture, livestock rearing, fisheries, sericulture, non-timber forest produce, handlooms, traditional crafts and rural entrepreneurship.
Special interventions have also been planned for PVTG communities, including nutritional support for children, pregnant and lactating women, crèche facilities and a dedicated ₹500-crore Flexi Fund to address infrastructure requirements in tribal habitations.
(Agencies)
