Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has launched welfare schemes worth around Rs 7,900 crore in the last three days, sending a clear message that his government is ready to face the polls.

On Thursday, Naveen launched Location Accessible Multimodal Initiatives (LAccMI), a bus service from the Maoist-hit Malkangiri district. He went to Malkangiri and also took a bus ride from Malkangiri to MV-03 point. Launching the scheme, Naveen said: “I introduced all the major schemes of the state including 1kg rice at Re 1, Biju Swasthya Kalayan Yojana from here. Today I have launched the LAccMi Bus service from here.”

Under the Rs 3,178 crore project, more than 1,000 buses will run across the state connecting the panchayats with the district and subsequently with the state headquarters. In the first phase, the buses will run in the state’s most backward districts like Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati and Kandhamal. He also launched developmental projects worth Rs 800 crore for Malkangiri district.

The Naveen Patnaik government has carefully given the bus service scheme the name of LAccMI as the name symbolises the goddess of prosperity. With this, the Naveen government is trying to connect with the religious sentiment of the people.

Knowing well that women and rural development will be the major focus of his government in the coming elections, Naveen on Tuesday launched the Rs 3,397-crore scheme named “Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha (Our Odisha, New Odisha). Under the scheme, each panchayat of the state will receive Rs 50 lakh to undertake various developmental work in their respective areas.

On Wednesday, the chief minister launched a new scheme called “Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana" for members of women self-help groups. In the first phase, 15,000 scooters were distributed among women across the state. Around 2 lakh women will be given the scooters under the scheme.