By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, June 27, 2016 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday announced yet another sop-Kalinga Sikshya Sathi Yojana (KSSY) for students pursuing higher studies ahead of the panchayat elections scheduled to be held in the state in 2017.

The loans would be available at one percent interest rate to students pursuing higher studies.

The state government will have a corpus of Rs 500 crore for the purpose from its own resources, officials said.

“The state government has been giving top priority to education in the state. The announcement has been made in keeping with the promises made in our party’s election manifesto. This will especially benefit students pursuing Engineering, Medical, Management, Law and other professional courses. I know what kind of financial hurdles parents from poor and middle-class families face for higher studies of their children,” said Patnaik said as part of the Biju Babu Birth Centenary Celebrations.

The BJD government’s move is expected to relieve lakhs of parents from loan pressure to ensure higher studies for their children.

“The students from poor family background will not face monetary difficulties in fulfilling their dreams for higher studies”, the chief minister asserted.

Patnaik hoped that the scheme apart from enabling lakhs of students from the state to fulfill their hopes and aspirations will bring pride for their families, state and the country.

The late legendary Biju Patnaik, father of the present chief minister, always emphasized on the empowerment of the state’s youth. Biju always advocated for the development of the youth and believed that through education alone Odia youths can earn laurels at the global level.

Since Biju Patnaik had instituted International Kalinga Prize for popularizing science, it is believed that KSSY will be a tribute to him on the occasion of his birth centenary celebration.