Bhubaneswar: Odisha govt has urged the road transport ministry to expedite approval of its pending proposals for setting up new driving training institutes, citing a growing demand for trained drivers, long waiting periods for courses and emerging employment opportunities in India and abroad.In a letter to the secretary of the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) V Umashankar on Thursday, state transport secretary NBS Rajput sought early examination and approval of the state’s proposal for establishing an institute of driving training and research (IDTR) at Angul and regional driving training centres (RDTCs) at Bhubaneswar, Kalahandi and Bargarh under a central scheme.The state govt informed the ministry that revised detailed project reports (DPRs) and all required documents have already been submitted for consideration. “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.Officials said the expansion of driving training infrastructure has become necessary as the four existing IDTRs at Chhatia, Bonai, Keonjhar and Berhampur are struggling to meet increasing demand. “At present, aspiring trainees have to wait around 45 days to secure a training slot at the institutes,” an official said.The state govt highlighted that the units play a key role in road safety by imparting quality training to heavy motor vehicle (HMV) drivers and conducting mandatory three-day refresher courses required for renewal of HMV driving licences. The training programmes are provided free of cost to participants.In the letter, Odisha also pointed to the growing recognition of its driver training institutes. As many as 13 drivers trained at the IDTRs have secured employment opportunities in Japan. Recently, nine Japanese companies visited the institutes and expressed interest in recruiting trained drivers.The state further argued that additional training capacity would support its women-centric initiative, “Atmanirbhar Mahila SuVahak (AMA SuVahak)”, under which women drivers are proposed to be provided interest-free loans to own and operate taxis. “Early establishment of the proposed IDTRs would substantially enhance the training capacity of the state and help address the existing gap between demand and availability of training slots,” the letter stated.Seeking MoRTH’s intervention, Rajput requested expeditious approval of the proposals along with sanction of funds, stating that the projects would strengthen Odisha’s driving training ecosystem and contribute to road safety and skill development.