Naveen launches 191 projects worth Rs 1,806 crore in Balasore
BALASORE: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched 191 projects worth over Rs 1,806 crore and gave away Rs 220 crore financial assistance to 5,600 women self-help groups (SHGs) during his visit to Balasore on Thursday.
Naveen inaugurated 69 projects worth 374.90 crore which included a railway over bridge at Shobharampur between Nilgiri Road and Balasore railway stations on Kharagpur-Bhadrak section. The chief minister also laid foundation stones of 122 projects which will be taken up at a cost of over Rs 1,431.28 crore.
Addressing a meeting at Police Line Field here, Naveen exhorted the members of Mission Shakti to become entrepreneurs and take the movement to the next level. Laying emphasis on ‘one panchayat, one product’ initiative, he said, “If one panchayat comes up with a unique product, it will help in facilitating creation of market. Besides, it will also create a unique identity for each panchayat.”
The CM hoped that women will create a new history in the industrial development of Odisha. He further announced that 60,000 women of the district will be provided Rs 50,000 interest-free loan in next five years. “Balasore is a leading district in the fields of education, industries, agriculture and infrastructure. The new projects will provide a further push to this development trend of the district,” he added.
Among others, Industries Minister Pratap Deb, his Tourism counterpart Aswini Patra and Balasore MLA Swaroop Das were present. The district administration had put in place elaborate security arrangements for the CM’s visit.
Differently-abled man breaks security cordon
Balasore: Despite tight security arrangements, a differently-abled man managed to reach near Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s vehicle during his visit to the district. He was identified as Mrityunjay Upadhyay of Bhogpur village under Jhinkriya panchayat in Khaira block. Upadhyay said he wanted to meet the CM to apprise him of his plight. “Despite being eligible, I am yet to get housing benefits under various schemes launched by the government. My elderly mother and I have been making several rounds of the local BDO office and the district collectorate for the last several years but to no avail,” he claimed. Later, police personnel deployed for the CM’s security whisked away Upadhyay from the spot.