By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, October 29, 2020: Odisha on Wednesday okayed eight projects worth Rs 257 crore from Odisha Mineral Bearing Area Development Corporation (OMBADC) funds.

The projects approved included upgradation of health services in health sub-centres, Community Health Centers, Public Health Centers (PHC) and sub-divisional headquarters hospital in two blocks of Mayurbhanj district with estimated cost of around Rs 47.25 crore.

The Board also sanctioned project proposals for opening of centres of excellence in Government ITIs and polytechnics of six districts at an estimated cost of Rs 123.45 crore, broadband connectivity to hospitals and schools in OMBADC districts at estimated cost of Rs 3 crore and improvement of milk procurement facilities in Jajpur district involving a cost of Rs 20.48 crore.

Development of four mega mother nurseries in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Jajpur districts with a cost of Rs 11.71 crore, skill development certificate course for tribal youths in panchakarma and naturopathy (Rs 6 lakh) and sex-sorted semen for genetic improvement of cattle (Rs 16.93 crore) were also approved.Earlier, projects worth Rs 13,233.25 crore were sanctioned for OMBADC districts.

Chairing a meeting of the OMBADC Board of Directors here, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy directed the secretaries of departments concerned to workout weekly monitoring plan for expeditious implementation of the projects in the mineral-bearing districts.

The library, laboratory and teaching-learning infrastructure of the Engineering College at Keonjhar will be upgraded at an estimated cost of Rs 34 crore.