Bhubaneswar, May 11: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today sanctioned Rs 20 cr for setting up RT-PCR testing centres in 16 districts of the State.

The districts where the testing laboratories will be set up are Bhadrak, Boudh, Bargarh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur, Jaipur, Kandhmal. Kendrapada, Khurda, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Sonepur and Sundargarh. Officials said that the testing machine for Rayagada has been ordered by the Odisha State Medical Corporation Ltd.

The approximate unit cost for establishment of laboratory facility is around Rs 1.2 crore. Officials said that one microbiologist and three laboratory technicians will be recruited on outsourcing basis for functioning of these labs.