Bhubaneswar, Nov 25 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday launched an affordable bus service under a scheme in the tribal majority Rayagada district to boost the rural economy and improve connectivity.

Launching the service through virtual mode, Patnaik said a total of 52 buses will run in the district to connect to all 182 gram panchayats in the district.

There will be 300 bus stops for LAccMi scheme (Location Accessible Multi-modal Initiative) buses.

Under provisions of the scheme, a woman can travel from gram panchayat headquarters to block headquarters at a fare of Rs 5.

The chief minister said he was optimistic that the affordable bus service will bring change in the lives of people in Rayagada district.

'This is likely to transform our rural transport system. The buses will now connect from one village to another, improve social bonding and strengthen the rural economy,' he said.

Patnaik said his government came to know the requirement of the people from the CMO Grievance meetings.

He said now the children can easily go to schools and colleges, working women to offices, farmers to markets and also take patients to hospitals.

The objective of the programme is to improve the local transport system and promote tourism and the regional economy.

The chief minister said the state government is investing Rs 90 crore in Rayagada district under the ‘Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha’ (Our Odisha, New Odisha) programme.

5T (transformational initiative) and Nabin Odisha Chairman V.K Pandian coordinated the event and said he had visited Rayagada district on the instruction of the Chief Minister prior to the launch of the LAccMi scheme. PTI AAM AAM NN