Odisha targets to bring poverty below 5% in 5 yrs: Govt

Odisha government told the state Assembly on Tuesday that it will take concrete measures to reduce poverty below five per cent over the next five years and announced a hike of the healthcare assistance for women from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

The announcements were made by Governor Ganeshi Lal in his address to the first session of the 16th Odisha Assembly which commenced here Tuesday.

"My government will lay emphasis on agriculture development and farmers' welfare as a major strategy for bringing poverty below 5 per cent over the next five years," Lal said in his speech.

While Bihar topped the list registering highest 33.34 per cent of poor people, Odisha followed with 32.59 per cent by 2011-12. The incidence of poverty had been 54.40 per cent and 57.20 per cent in Bihar and Odisha respectively in 2004-05, official data said.

Stating that the KALIA (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation) scheme will continue as promised, the governor said all farmers and landless agricultural labourers will get the benefit of the programme.

The government will provide interest-free crop loans to small and marginal farmers up to Rs one lakh and invest Rs 50,000 crore to upgrade irrigation facilities, he said.

Highlighting different government schemes such as Mission Shakti, the governor said empowerment of women has been the key to the state's progress.

Under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, Odisha women will now get Rs 10 lakh for their treatment instead of Rs 7 lakh. Every widow and destitute woman will be covered under the social security pension, he said.

"To take women empowerment to the next level, my government will ensure that Women SHGs under Mission Shakti will get government business worth Rs 50,000 crore. The WSHGs will be provided loans at zero per cent interest up to Rs 5 lakh," he said adding Mission Shakti buildings will be constructed in each gram panchayat and district headquarters.

He said the government will provide education loans to students at 0 per cent interest and efforts will be made to create 30 lakh employment opportunities in six focus sectors.

Around 75 per cent of jobs will be reserved for qualified local youth in all upcoming industries in the state, Lal said.

He said composite modern urban hostels will be provided in 114 locations of the state to facilitate higher and job-oriented study facilities for all category students.

A MSME welfare board will be set up to work for the sustenance and growth of those engaged in MSME sectors like priests, barbers and washermen.

Besides, an interest subvention scheme will be introduced for extension of credit to eligible MSMEs at a concessional rate, the governor said.

The Government proposes to bring a new industrial policy in line with the perspective plan with emphasis on the creation of job opportunities. Best-in-class industrial parks will be established for each of the focus sectors, he added.

The governor said the government will make sincere efforts to register all workers in the unorganised sectors as beneficiaries under the Odisha Unorganized Workers' Social Security Board in phases within five years and cover them under different social security initiatives.

For the development of the tourism sector, Puri will be made a world heritage city and all places of tourist importance will be linked and way-side amenities be provided on major roads. Besides, district tourism councils will be formed in all the districts, he said.

Referring to Cyclone Fani which struck the state on May 3, Lal said the state government is fully prepared to face all eventualities. "It undertook one of the biggest human evacuations in history with a record 1.4 million people being shifted in just 24 hours preceding the landfall," he said.