Bhubaneswar: Hectic preparations are underway for the grand event to be held in Bhubaneswar on June 20 to celebrate the completion of Odisha’s BJP government led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is slated to grace the state-level celebration of the first anniversary of the BJP government, is set to launch a number of new development and welfare schemes during his visit.
Among the key initiatives to be launched by Modi is Odisha government’s Mahapurush Adarsh Gram Yojana aimed at transforming the native villages of eminent personalities, including freedom fighters, poets, authors and artists, into model villages.
The Prime Minister will also oversee distribution of work orders to 50,000 beneficiaries under Antyodaya Gruha Yojana, a housing scheme for the marginalised, people suffering from critical illness, differently-abled persons, widows, single mothers and families affected by house fires, elephant attacks and natural disasters such as floods and cyclones.
Officials said the state government has set an ambitious target of constructing over five lakh houses under the scheme with an investment of Rs 7,500 crore. The CM had launched the scheme at Bhawanipatna on March 30 and distributed 60,000 work orders in the first phase.
Another highlight of Modi’s visit will be the inauguration of a digital donation system (hundi) for Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri, modernising its centuries-old offering system. The new system will enable devotees across the globe to make offerings through various digital payment methods, including UPI, debit/credit cards and net banking, a senior official of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) said.
The 12th century shrine now receives annual donations of over Rs 50 crore mainly through cash offerings, aims to enhance transparency and accountability through the digital hundi system.
Armed with adequate security features to prevent fraud and provides instant transaction receipts to devotees, the digital system seeks to address a long-standing demand from devotees, particularly those residing outside Odisha and abroad.
