BHUBANESWAR/JEYPORE: Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday announced that the South Odisha Development Council (SODC) will be formed by the state government soon.
Releasing the third installment of Rs 5000 each to one crore beneficiaries under the Subhadra scheme at a function at Jeypore in Koraput district, the chief minister said that a task force headed by school and mass education minister Nityanand Gond had been set up by the state government to suggest how to proceed in this regard.
Stating that the task force will submit its report soon, the chief minister said the SODC will be in line with the Western Odisha Development Council (WODC). Majhi said that the government is committed to the development of the southern region of the state unlike the previous dispensation.
Responding to the demand of Congress MLA from Jeypore, Taraprasad Bahinipati, the chief minister announced that a Vande Bharat Express will run from Jeypore to Bhubaneswar. He further announced that the paper mill at Gaganapur in the district which closed down will be revived by the government. Besides, a new college will also be set up at Jeypore, he added.
The chief minister laid foundation stones for 436 projects worth over Rs 452 crore and inaugurated 126 other projects worth over Rs 309 crore during the occasion. These include important infrastructure development projects in the education, health, roads and tourism sectors. The chief minister said that with the implementation of these projects, the development of the district would be further accelerated.
The highlight of the function was the chief minister providing the Subhadra money to 1783 beneficiaries from the Kotia gram panchayat in the third installment. The chief minister said that in the first installment 1797 women and in the second unstallment 1795 women from Kotia gram panchayat were provided Subhadra money. Majhi said that because of the commitment of the state government, women from Kotia gram panchayat have been linked to the Subhadra scheme in the last one year.
Stating that women empowerment is not just a slogan for the BJP government in the state, the chief minister said for almost two decades, crores of women of the state were used as political pawns. Stating that this was an insult to women, the chief minister said that the BJP government is trying to give a new direction to women empowerment by emphasising on their holistic development.
The chief minister said that under the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ empowerment programme, 17 lakhpati didis have been created in Odisha under the programme. He said that the Subhadra scheme is a complete package under which Subhadra plus is being implemented to strengthen women, Subhadra Shakti Mela is being impemented to encourage entrepreneurship among women while Subhadra Kishori is being implemented for adolescent girls.
Deputy chief minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo said that through Subhadra, the government is not only empowering women through financial independence but also bridging the gap in education, skills, and employment opportunities. Today lakhs of mothers and sisters of the state have been able to change the economic condition of their families by starting small businesses by using the assistance provided under the Subhadra scheme as capital, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, deputy chief minister Pravati Parida said that through the Subhadra scheme, the government aims to improve the lives of women in multiple aspects. The Subhadra scheme reaffirms the government's commitment towards strengthening their social status by providing them opportunities for success, she added.