Bhubaneswar: Governor Ganeshi Lal lauded the government’s handling of Cyclone Fani and implementation of manifestos during his opening address to the budget session of the 16th Odisha Assembly on Tuesday.
Congratulating the BJD government for assuming power for the fifth time in a row, the Governor condoled the demise of former and sitting members of the Parliament, State Assembly, and policemen and Army jawans from Odisha who laid down their lives while encountering terrorists.
Mentioned below are the highlights of the Governor’s speech
1. The state government has effectively tackled Cyclone Fani.
2. The state government on the first day of assuming power began the exercise to implement manifestos it had promised to the people.
3. The government has included marginal farmers, sharecroppers and landless labourers in the KALIA scheme.
4. Development of agriculture sector and farmers’ empowerment is the primary objective of my government.
5. Woman Self-help Groups under Mission Shakti will be provided work to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore.
6. Mission Shakti houses will be set up at the panchayat and district level.
7. All beneficiaries benefited from the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY). The state government has increased financial assistance to women from Rs 7 to Rs 10 lakh.
8. IT labs to be set up in all government high schools while all technical institutions will have wi-fi network.
9. Efforts are on for reservation of jobs for local people in all industrial units.
10. World class sports infrastructure has come up in Bhubaneswar while astro-turf has been laid in the hockey stadium in all 17 blocks of Sundargarh district to bring out world-class players.
11. Efforts are on to convert all kutcha houses into pucca ones.
12. Stipends for physically challenged, poor old men, women and widows.
13. Special corridor set up for the development of MSME sector.
14. Efforts are on to develop five municipal corporations as smart cities under the Odisha Smart City Mission.
15. The state government is in talks with the railway ministry to connect Cuttack with Bhubaneswar by Metro Railway.
16. Plans afoot to make Cuttack a heritage city.
17. Efforts will be made to make Puri a world heritage city
18. Target is set to set up five new medical colleges and hospitals in Odisha in three years.
