KEONJHAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stone for Government Medical College at Kabitra, four kms from district headquarters town of Keonjhar on Wednesday.
Addressing the gathering, Naveen said the Government has sanctioned ` 300 crore for the medical college. Naveen also announced a slew of measures for self-help groups. He announced that the SHGs can avail up to ` three lakh loan at one per cent interest.
Speaking on the occasion, Finance and Health Minister Pradeep Kumar Amat said, the Centre has not shown any interest in coal royalty and besides this atleast 23 projects have been withdrawn and rural populist programmes like BRGF has been stopped. “Odisha is in March towards progress with the blessings of its people”, he said.
Among other Rural Development Minister Badrinarayan Patra, Keonjhar MP Shakuntala Laguri, District Planning Board chairperson and Patana MLA Hrushikesh Nayak, Sadar MLA Abhiram Naik, Telkoi MLA Bedabyasa Naik also spoke. Collector N Thirumala Naik gave the welcome address.
Earlier in the day, 30 senior BJP leaders including former BJP MLA Mohan Charan Majhi, district president Radhakanta Mahanta, district BJP Yuva Morcha president Hema Ranjan Barik were taken into preventive custody. A BJP activist also threw egg at the vehicle of Finance Minister but Amat was not in it.