Bhubaneswar: In response to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s request, the NITI Aayog has approved the inclusion of 11 more blocks from the state under the Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP). With this addition, the total number of blocks from Odisha under the programme has risen to 40.

Of the newly added blocks, five belong to Keonjhar district—Champua, Jhumpura, Keonjhar Sadar, Patana, and Telkoi while six are from Mayurbhanj district—Bahalda, Bijatala, Jamda, Kusumi, Rairangpur, and Tiringi.

The announcement was made via a notification issued by NITI Aayog today.

The Chief Minister’s Office has stated the inclusion of these blocks fulfils the Chief Minister’s request to bring more backward regions of the state under the development-focused initiative.

The Aspirational Blocks Programme aims to drive development through the convergence of Central and State Government schemes. It also ranks the blocks based on various development indicators to foster a competitive spirit in implementing welfare programmes effectively.