Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday launched the “Bikashita Gaon, Bikashita Odisha” scheme for rural infrastructure developmental projects in the state, but the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) dismissed it as a “political gimmick”.

Mimicking Naveen Patnaik-led government’s flagship rural scheme “Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha”, this scheme will focus on building road infrastructure, civic amenities and the improvement of sports and educational infrastructure at rural level.

Speaking at the inauguration programme in Jankia, Khurda district, Majhi said: “The scheme aims to develop the socio-economic condition of rural areas. Whatever amenities are available in the towns will now be available in the villages, too. The scheme will continue for five years, and ₹5000 crore will be spent on this project. There will be an improvement in the ease of living in rural areas.”

Panchayati raj and rural development minister Rabi Narayan Naik was also present at the event.

The chief minister said: “The goal of a developed nation cannot be achieved without the development of villages. The scheme has been launched in all 30 districts and 314 blocks of the state. Under the scheme, concrete roads, bridges, construction of primary school buildings, development of playgrounds and other basic infrastructures will be taken up.”

He added: “The gram sabhas will be entrusted with the job to prepare annual action plans for the development of the areas. The district collector will see the viability of the report sent by the gram sabhas. The collector is designated as the approving authority for the proposals under the scheme.”

The chief minister was confident that the scheme would solve the problem of dadan shramik (contract labourers). “People will no longer have to migrate in search of work,” he said.

Aware of the BJD’s criticism, Majhi said: “We need to keep politics and development separate. The previous government that had ruled the state for 24 years worked only to create vote banks. But our government will continue to address the issue of poverty and unemployment.”

BJD spokesperson Lenin Mohanty said the BJP government should come out with a new scheme for the welfare of the people rather than rebranding the BJD’s scheme and trying to take the credit.

“They do not have any vision for the development of rural areas. Odisha has 50,000 villages. The funds allocated under the scheme is not sufficient to carry out developmental programmes,” said Mohanty.