Mission Shakti Department Gets Odisha Cabinet Nod, To Function From April 1

Bhubaneswar: The state Cabinet approved the creation of Mission Shakti department among 16 major decisions taken at its meeting on Saturday.

After the Cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti Minister Tukuni Sahu and Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra told the media bout the major decisions.

Those pertained to the departments of Energy, Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disability, Excise, General Administration and Public Grievance, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water, Revenue and Disaster Management and Steel and Mines.

Besides Mission Shakti department, major decisions included construction of 10 mega rural pipe water supply schemes in Aul, Rajkanika, Chilika, Tangi, Banpur, Khordha, Jatani, Gondia, Bhubana, Golaminda, Jajpur and Binjharpur blocks.

The Cabinet has also sanctioned constitution of rural pipe water scheme for 26 panchayats of Sambalpur district and 2 panchayats of Jharsuguda district.

Besides, the lease of 25 acer land for construction of a satellite centre of AIIMS in Remuna tehsil of Balasore district has been sanctioned.

Meanwhile, sources said the Mission Shakti department will start functioning from April 1. The Mission Shakti Directorate, Odisha Livelihood Mission (OLM) and State Urban Development Agency will be brought under the new department as those work primarily for women SHGs. The department will have a Minister and Commissioner cum Secretary like any other department.