Odisha has asked the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to fast-track approval and funding for four proposed driver-training facilities, citing a 45-day wait for training slots, rising demand for skilled drivers and the need to improve road safety.
In a letter to MoRTH secretary V Umashankar on Thursday, Odisha transport secretary NBS Rajput sought early consideration of the state’s proposals for an Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR) at Angul and Regional Driving Training Centres (RDTCs) at Bhubaneswar, Kalahandi and Bargarh. The state said revised detailed project reports and all required documents had already been submitted.
“However, despite several months having elapsed since the proposals were sent, Odisha govt is yet to receive any communication regarding their status, observations, approval or fund sanction,” the letter stated.
The proposed facilities are intended to expand a training network that currently includes four IDTRs at Chhatia, Bonai, Keonjhar and Berhampur. State officials said these institutes are struggling to meet increasing demand, with aspiring trainees waiting around 45 days to secure a place.
The centres train heavy motor vehicle drivers and conduct mandatory three-day refresher courses required for the renewal of heavy motor vehicle driving licences. The programmes are provided free of cost to participants. Their role therefore extends beyond employment preparation, linking training capacity to the licensing system and road-safety requirements for commercial drivers.
Odisha also pointed to international employment opportunities emerging from its existing training infrastructure. Thirteen drivers trained at the state’s IDTRs have secured jobs in Japan, while nine Japanese companies recently visited the institutes and expressed interest in recruiting trained drivers, according to the state government.
The state said the proposed expansion could also support its women-focused mobility initiative, Atmanirbhar Mahila Su Vahak, or AMA Su Vahak. Under the initiative, women drivers are proposed to receive interest-free loans to own and operate taxis. Additional training capacity would provide more potential participants with access to the qualifications needed for commercial driving.
The request highlights an administrative bottleneck behind the expansion of transport infrastructure: the state has submitted revised project documents, but approval and funding from the central ministry remain pending. Until those decisions are taken, the proposed institutes cannot add capacity to the existing system.
Rajput asked MoRTH to intervene and approve the projects along with the required fund sanction. The state government said the new facilities would strengthen Odisha’s driver-training ecosystem, reduce the gap between demand and available training slots, and contribute to road safety and skill development.
