Odisha Cabinet Clears Bill for Economic Region Authorities, Approves Tribal Mission Phase 2
UPSC / SSC current affairs note · Polity
Why in news
The Odisha Cabinet has cleared a bill to amend the Odisha Development Authorities Act, 1982, enabling the creation of Economic Region Development Authorities for multi-district economic corridors. This move comes after the Union Budget 2026-27 recognized the Bhubaneswar-Kataka-Puri-Paradeep Economic Region (BKPPER) as one of four vital City Economic Regions in India. The Cabinet also approved the second phase of the Mukhya Mantri Janajati Jeevika Mission (MMJJM 2.0) for tribal livelihood.
Background
The Odisha Development Authorities Act, 1982 currently governs development authorities in the state. The proposed amendment will allow the state to notify and establish economic regions without fresh legislation each time. BKPPER is a pilot project developed with NITI Aayog to integrate ports, industrial hubs, urban centers, logistics, and religious/cultural sites into a coordinated economic geography.
Key facts
The Odisha Cabinet cleared the Odisha Development Authorities (Amendment) Bill, 2026 to constitute Economic Region Development Authorities.
The amendment will empower the state to govern multi-district economic corridors and notify future economic regions without new legislative enactments.
The first official City Economic Region will be the Bhubaneswar-Kataka-Puri-Paradeep Economic Region (BKPPER).
BKPPER is a pilot project with NITI Aayog, integrating ports, industrial hubs, urban centers, logistics, and religious/cultural places.
The Union Budget 2026-27 recognized BKPPER as one of four vital City Economic Regions, alongside Varanasi, Surat, and Vishakhapatnam.
Other planned agglomerations include Bargarh-Jharsuguda-Sambalpur, Berhampur-Chhatrapur-Gopalpur, and Jeypore-Koraput-Sunabeda.
The Cabinet approved MMJJM 2.0 targeting 8 lakh tribal and PVTG households, up from 1.5 lakh in phase 1.
MMJJM 2.0 will span 19 districts, covering 23 ITDAs, 20 MPAs, and 134 TSP/MPA blocks.
The mission will be implemented from 2026-27 to 2030-31.
Chief secretary Anu Garg said regional master plans will look beyond municipal boundaries to attract investment and improve mobility and housing.
Prelims pointers
- Odisha Development Authorities Act, 1982
- Odisha Development Authorities (Amendment) Bill, 2026
- Economic Region Development Authorities
- Bhubaneswar-Kataka-Puri-Paradeep Economic Region (BKPPER)
- NITI Aayog
- Mukhya Mantri Janajati Jeevika Mission (MMJJM) 2.0
- Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)
- Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) blocks
- Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs)
- Micro Project Areas (MPAs)
Mains angles
- Discuss the role of economic corridors in regional development and urban planning.
- Examine the significance of recognizing City Economic Regions in the Union Budget for federal planning.
- Critically evaluate the effectiveness of tribal livelihood missions in improving PVTG welfare.
- Analyze the need for legislative amendments to facilitate multi-district governance structures.