Chief secretary Manoj Ahuja said the facilities will provide integrated platforms for farmers, traders, and other stakeholders, combining upgraded infrastructure with digital systems for seamless transactions. In the first phase (2025–27), the state will build 14 large, 17 medium, and seven small mandis. Funding will come from Rs 150 crore mobilised by Regulated Market Committees and the remaining amount from the state plan scheme. The Cooperation Department has already allocated Rs 50 crore in the current financial year.

Each mandi will feature modern storage facilities, raised drying platforms, covered sheds, quality testing kiosks, cooling chambers, farmers’ rest areas, women-friendly amenities, clean toilets, canteens, vending zones, bank branches, ATMs, parking, electronic weighbridges, retail outlets for agri-inputs, and proper waste disposal systems. A second phase will upgrade 62 more mandis, with site identification already underway.

The Cabinet also cleared several other major projects. These include a Rs 382.40 crore tender for a 24×7 piped water supply system covering all households in Sambalpur, Burla, and Hirakud. The project—covering construction and five years of operations and maintenance—is slated to begin in September and finish by August 2027.

Additionally, Rs 350 crore has been sanctioned to retrofit public street lighting in all 110 urban local bodies with energy-efficient LED systems.

In a significant boost to aviation infrastructure, the state will establish a world-class Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility for aircraft at Biju Patnaik International Airport, the first such major installation in eastern India. The Cabinet approved a special incentive package for the anchor investor to set up the facility.

Other decisions include creating a separate Directorate of Museums for better management of state museums and framing recruitment rules for faculty in government-run nursing colleges and ANM training centres.