Odisha Cabinet Approves Rs 1,000 Assistance To PDS Beneficiaries, Rs 1 Lakh Loan To Rural Youths

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Cabinet on Monday approved the proposal to pay Rs 1,000 as financial assistance to each beneficiary under food security programme of the government.

The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, approved 26 proposals of 14 departments. Ministers Ranendra Pratap Swain and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena briefed the media about the Cabinet decisions.

The Cabinet decided to pay Rs 1000 as livelihood assistance and distribute two jute carry bags to each beneficiary family under Public Distribution System (PDS). It will benefit 95,90,526 PDS families.

The fund requirement for procurement and distribution of 1,91,81,052 jute carry bags will come to Rs 278.69 crore and for one-time livelihood assistance of Rs 1000 per family will be Rs 959.05 crore, totalling to 1,237.74 crore which will be borne out of the State budget.

The Cabinet also approved a new scheme “SWAYAM” to create self-employed youth i.e., Swatantra Yuva Udyami.

Under the scheme, all rural unemployed youth or those with no outstanding loan for the same purpose from any Central/ State Government supported schemes in the age group of 18-35 years (18-40 years for special category) desirous of starting a new business or to expand their existing business will be provided interest free bank loan for project cost upto Rs 1 lakh.

The government has decided to cover 1 lakh eligible rural youth under this scheme initially and spend Rs 448 crore. The scheme will be operational for a period of 2 years.

The applicant must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:
1. Any individual within the age group of 18-35 years. For applicants belonging to SC/ST/PwD categories, the upper age limit will be 40 years.
2. Applicant’s family is covered under KALIA/BSKY Scheme or having income of less than Rs 2 lakh per annum where ‘Family’ implies self and spouse.
3. The applicant must have UDYAM registered/UDYAM assisted number.

The Cabinet also approved the new State Sector umbrella scheme Mukhyamantri Maschyajibi Kalyan Yojana (MMKY). It will be implemented during FY 2023-24 with 17 components with a total budget outlay of nearly Rs
448 crore. This scheme aims at benefiting 50,000 fishermen including 11,000 WSHGs directly and more than 1 lakh fishers with indirect employment generation.

Following are other major Cabinet decisions:

• Amendment of the Odisha Mobile Towers and Telegraph Line, OFC and related Telecom Infrastructure Policy, 2017 to align it with Indian Telegraph Right of Way (Amendment) Rules, 2023. It aims at modifying the existing State Policy by amending some of the existing clauses and also incorporating some additional clauses so as to align it with the provisions of the Indian Telegraph Right of Way (Amendment) Rules, 2023 and to facilitate faster and easier deployment of Telecom Infrastructure to enable speedy 5G rollout and improve quality of services across the State.
• Continuance of the State Sector Scheme “Malati Devi Prak Vidyalaya Paridhan Yojana” from 2022-23 to 2026-27. Following materials would be provided to students under the scheme:
  Uniform (Boys) – Two pair of uniforms @ Rs. 100/- per pair.
  Uniform (Girls) – Two pair of shirts with divided skirts @ Rs. 150/- per pair.
  Shoes & Socks – One pair of shoes & socks @ Rs. 100/- per child.
  Sweater – One sweater @ Rs. 150/- per child.
• Construction of 8 EHT grid sub-stations along with associated transmission lines by OPTCL within 3 years in identified areas of the State under phase-I of Odisha Transmission System Strengthening Programme with 100% equity support from the State government.

The grid sub-stations will be set up at Nua Betenda (Cuttack), Sarasmal (Sonepur), Khalikote (Ganjam), Parjang (Dhenkanal), Hatabasta (Khurdha), Bijepur (Bargarh), Jharbandh (Bargarh) & Raighar (Nabarangpur) along with associated transmission lines under Phase-I of Odisha Transmission System Strengthening Programme (OTSSP).
The total estimated cost of the projects is Rs 538.57 crore which will be provided as equity investment of the State Govt in OPTCL.

• Uniformity in assessment of Conversion Fee i.e @ 3% of BMV from existing 10% of BMV in respect of the land
  allotted to BDA and OSHB for residential purpose in different point of time in modification to earlier Cabinet
  decision placed by the H & UD Department.

Rationalisation of assessment of Conversion Fee @ 3% of BMV in respect of land leased out by GA & PG
Department in favour of different individuals in different point of time used for residential purpose.