Bhubaneswar, Sept. 24: The Odisha Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (OUIDF) has signed off on four urban infrastructure projects worth an estimated Rs 12.89 crore.

The projects were sanctioned in principle at a board of trustees meeting, chaired by chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, on September 20.

Among the projects that have received the nod are toilets on wheels, estimated to cost Rs 56.20 lakh, at Master Canteen Square and the Barmunda bus stand in Bhubaneswar.

An estimated Rs 5.40 crore will be spent to renovate water bodies at Hinjilicut and another Rs 5.41 at Titilagarh for their conservation and sustainable management. The projects will also focus on restoration and development of lake periphery for better ecosystem, aesthetics and environment building.

The fourth project is a compost plant to be set up at a temporary transfer station at Gadakana for an estimated Rs 1.52 crore.

While approving the new projects, Padhi directed the OUIDF as well as housing and urban development department officials to assess outcomes of the completed projects from the perspectives of service delivery and revenue generation. He also asked them to explore multiple sources of funding to sustain support to the urban local bodies.

During the meeting, it was also announced that the credit ranking of the state's nine cities covered under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut) scheme had been completed and a project-wise review system put in place in the housing and urban development department to fast track the implementation.

A daily project monitoring system through WhatsApp involving all stakeholders had also been introduced, while regular field checks were being conducted for effective monitoring.

The meeting also reviewed the progress of major projects in various urban local bodies, including the progress in setting up of 56 vending zones in Cuttack, augmentation of water supply to the Gopalpur Municipality, construction of fish markets at two locations in Sambalpur and setting up of a modern abattoir at Gadakana in Bhubaneswar.

The other major projects that were reviewed include bulk water supply scheme to cater to the IIT, Niser, Infocity, Jatni and Khurda, improvement of water supply to grater Berhampur, sewerage system in Rourkela (east and west) and Sambalpur, slum rehabilitation project at Sudhipur, Satyanagar and Gadakana in Bhubaneswar.

Besides, reclamation of 14 water bodies in Bhubaneswar, seven in Sambalpur, three in Berhampur, energy efficient street light project in five municipal corporations and regional solid waste processing facility and landfill for Bhubaneswar and Cuttack were also reviewed. Most of the projects were on schedule, while a small portion of some projects were completed and put to use. Padhi also set a the timeline for the remaining works against each project.