Panel on MSP to seek fresh date with PM Narendra Modi
BHUBANESWAR: A committee of Odisha Assembly, headed by Speaker Pradip Amat, will make a fresh attempt to seek an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to put forth the demand for a hike in minimum support price (MSP) for paddy. This was decided at an all-party meeting chaired by the Speaker in the Assembly on Thursday.
The office of the Speaker will write to the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) once again seeking an appointment to discuss the issue of increasing MSP for paddy, Leader of Opposition Narasingh Mishra said after the meeting.
Though the House Committee had earlier sought an appointment to meet the Prime Minister, the PMO advised the committee to meet the Union Agriculture Minister because of his preoccupation. However, the Assembly panel did not prefer to meet the Union Minister, said leader of the BJP legislature party KV Singhdeo.
On March 25, the Odisha Assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution recommending the State Government to urge the Centre to increase the MSP of common paddy from `1,470 per quintal to `2,930.
Govt targets to register 5L more construction workers
The State Government has set a target to register 5 lakh more construction workers in different welfare schemes launched for them during 2017-18. Besides, `500 crore will be spent on welfare measures for construction workers during the current financial year. The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Naveen asked officials to ensure that implementation of different welfare schemes launched for construction workers is monitored properly. Steps should be taken to ensure that benefits of the welfare schemes reached the construction workers, he said.
Official sources said, so far 20 lakh construction workers have been registered by the Labour and Employees’ State Insurance department out of which 8.6 lakh have been benefited from different welfare schemes. It was decided that implementation of welfare schemes for labourers will be made more active in Sambalpur, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj and Cuttack districts. Chief secretary AP Padhi, Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan and senior officials were present.