Bhubaneswar, Feb 27 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday sanctioned an additional amount of Rs 1,000 crore for various drinking water supply projects under the Basudha scheme.

The amount has been sanctioned in the Buxi Jagabandhu Assured Water Supply to Habitations (Basudha) scheme for 2018-19 financial year, said a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.

The scheme already has an existing budgetary allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for 2018-19 fiscal.

The Chief Minister allocated the additional amount for this fiscal to expedite the drinking water projects in the state, it said.

A provision of budgetary allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the scheme has been made for the financial year 2019-20.

The state government had launched Basudha scheme in November last year with an objective to provide adequate safe water to rural people for drinking and domestic purposes on a sustainable basis.

--IANS cd/pgh/ab