By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, February 13, 2025: Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Thursday said the government implements a people-first approach in delivering essential services, creating livelihood opportunities, and developing key infrastructure to the poor.

The Mohan Majhi government is making substantial efforts to empower GYAN – Garib (the poor), Yuva (the youth), Annadata (farmers), and Narishakti (women) – through a wide range of schemes and programmes, he added highlighting that the people entrusted the new government with their hopes—those of the poor, the aspirations of the youth, the dreams of the farmers, and the ambitions of women—believing that this change would usher in a new era of unmatched prosperity.

Addressing the budget session of the Assembly on its first day, the Governor stated, “The people of Odisha opted for change over continuity in the 2024 general election as the state’s promises often remained unrealised. They embraced the promise of our government, which will listen, understand, and act, as they were tired of waiting for a transformation that never seemed to come.”

“Despite its glorious past as a thriving centre of overseas trade, rich mineral reserves, and abundant human resources, Odisha struggled for many years after independence to fulfil its immense potential,” he added.

With a determined vision for the future and a clear mandate from the people, the government has taken on the responsibility of steering the state towards prosperity.

He further elaborated, “Social security pensions are provided to 57 lakh people covering the highest percentage of population among all states in the country. The government has also made provision for pension for beneficiaries aged 80 years and above and beneficiaries with more than 80% disability to ₹3,500/- per month with effect from January 2025. The National Food Security Act (NFSA) and State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) enable beneficiaries to access healthcare at over 900 empanelled hospitals in 17 states, including Odisha. For rural residents not covered under NFSA or SFSS, similar benefits are extended for critical ailments, ensuring accessible healthcare for all.”

Regarding the empowerment of youth, he said the government is implementing centrally sponsored schemes like SANKALP (Skill Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion), which aim to strengthen the skill development ecosystem and increase access to quality, market-relevant training for youth across the country. “Efforts are directed towards career counselling campaigns in 20% of high schools annually, reducing ITI vacancy rates from 4% to 0.5% and boosting girls’ enrolment from 18% to 29.5% under the Sudakshya scheme,” he added.

The government also places a strong emphasis on agriculture and farmer welfare, recognising the vital role of farmers in the state’s economy, Kambhampati said.

“Several schemes and initiatives are in place to ensure food, nutrition, and income security for the farming population. The PM-KISAN initiative is implemented through a saturation drive to ensure all eligible farmers are covered. The Samrudha Krushak Yojana provides input assistance to farmers, including procuring paddy from them at ₹3,100 per quintal,” he said, adding that the government provides crop insurance coverage to safeguard farmers against climatic risks, with 1.36 lakh farmers registered for the Rabi season.

On women’s empowerment across various sectors, he said the Subhadra scheme aims to empower about one crore women aged between 21 and 60 by providing financial assistance of ₹50,000 over five years, fostering financial independence and raising awareness of their rights. The “Lakhpati Didi” initiative, under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), aims to help women SHG members earn at least ₹1 lakh annually, with plans to empower 25 lakh women as Lakhpati Didis by 2027.

Under the Kamadhenu Scheme, the agricultural sector is seeing investments that will benefit approximately 46 lakh women and children through nutritional aid.

The state has also committed to creating 1.5 lakh government jobs over five years, with an initial 65,000 jobs in the next two years. The weaving sector is also expected to generate 50,000 employment opportunities within the next two years.

Kambhampati added that the state aims to ensure 24-hour piped water supply across 115 cities by 2026, alongside similar electricity coverage.

The Governor noted that in just eight months, the government had already made several landmark decisions, launched numerous schemes, and hosted major programmes for the state and nation.

Among its key achievements, the state government has implemented its flagship scheme, ‘Subhadra,’ benefiting over a crore of people. “Besides, it has also rolled out the ‘Samruddha Krushak Yojana’ to provide input assistance of Rs 800 per quintal of paddy in addition to the minimum support price of Rs 2,300 per quintal,” he said.

The government has also opened the inner Ratna Bhandar of Shree Mandira, honouring the long-standing demands of devotees, and undertaken various initiatives to revive Odia Asmita.

The Governor further highlighted the state government’s role in hosting major events, including the DG/IGP Conference, the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the visit of the President of Singapore, and the Utkarsh Odisha-Make in Odisha Conclave. Additionally, he stated that the government had received three lakh suggestions for ‘Vision 2036,’ an ambitious roadmap aiming to transform Odisha into a developed state with a USD 500 billion economy by 2036.

“The government has a detailed plan for ‘Viksit Odisha for Viksit Bharat 2027,’ which envisions Odisha contributing USD 1.5 trillion to India’s economy by then,” he added.

Outlining employment plans, the Governor announced that the government aims to fill 1.5 lakh government jobs over the next five years, with 65,000 of them set to be filled within two years. “More than 24,000 posts have already been filled in 2024-25,” he stated. Furthermore, the government aims to empower 25 lakh women as ‘Lakhpati Didi’ by 2027.