Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed worry about the increasing number of road accidents in the state and nationwide. He introduced significant road safety measures during National Road Safety Month to tackle this issue. The state government’s focus lies on implementing the four ‘E’s for road safety: Education, Enforcement, Engineering, and Emergency.
Additionally, the Chief Minister proposed two more ‘E’s, Environment, and Evaluation, emphasizing the importance of adhering to vehicle pollution norms and evaluating road safety outcomes. Majhi highlighted that road safety is now part of Good Governance, aiming to enhance officials’ vigilance in this domain. He also introduced the “Chief Minister’s Road Safety Scheme Award” to recognize districts, educational institutions, and private organizations for their road safety efforts.
Majhi announced rewards for well-performing districts and institutions, while those with poor performance will be held accountable. The initiative aims to raise awareness about road safety across all sectors of society and reduce road accidents. Notably, a warning bell system was inaugurated at Kalinga Ghat to alert drivers on ghat roads. Moreover, an MoU was signed with IIT Kharagpur for advanced traffic management in the Cuttack–Bhubaneswar Twin City.
The Chief Minister inaugurated charging stations in Bhubaneswar and announced the construction of more stations across the state. Additionally, 14 new Atal Bus Stands were inaugurated in 10 districts, along with the unveiling of 71 projects under the state Works Department. These projects, with a total estimated expenditure of Rs 6,700 crore, aim to enhance infrastructure and public services in the state.
