The Odisha Cabinet, chaired by the Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, approved a major rural infrastructure package totalling Rs 300 billion (bn) that will expand last-mile connectivity across the state. The programme envisages development of around 50,000 km of rural roads and construction of about 3,837 bridges and bridge-like structures. The package represents one of the biggest state-level rural connectivity initiatives ahead of forthcoming local body elections. Under the Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana (MMSY) the Connecting Missing Road Links component was allocated Rs 19.17 bn for the five-year period from 2025–26 to 2029–30 to construct about 3,850 km of roads to bridge gaps across blocks and districts. The MMSY Improvement to Existing RD Roads programme received Rs 57.5 bn to upgrade about 17,500 km over the same period, including completion of ongoing projects. Another MMSY component was sanctioned Rs 40 bn for new road projects covering about 4,607 km between 2026–27 and 2030–31. The Transferred Roads Improvement Programme under MMSY secured Rs 67 bn to upgrade around 25,500 km of transferred roads over five years. To improve access in difficult terrain the Connecting Unconnected Villages in Difficult Areas scheme was approved with Rs 13 bn to build and improve roughly 1,150 km and to finish 949 km of ongoing works in left wing extremism affected, hilly and remote areas. These allocations target both new construction and the acceleration of stalled schemes. On the bridges front the Setu Bandhan Yojana was extended with Rs 110 bn for construction of 1,750 new bridges and completion of 1,417 ongoing bridge projects, while the Bridge-cum-Weir scheme received Rs 6 bn for 508 new works and 162 ongoing projects aimed at improving connectivity and supporting water conservation. Officials described the package as a coordinated push to strengthen rural infrastructure ahead of the three-tier panchayat and urban local body elections early next year.