Odisha: Naveen Patnaik showers sops on women

Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who is eying a fifth consecutive term, on Monday announced sops for women and girls to gain votes. Attending a public meeting at Komna in Nuapada district for the upcoming elections 2019, Mr Patnaik stressed on women empowerment for a new Odisha while explaining the meaning of double engine in true sense. He promised to increase Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) assistance amount by Rs 3 lakh for women and marriage assistance for poor girls. “We will hike the assistance amount under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana to Rs 10 lakh from Rs 7 lakh for women and will provide work guarantee upto Rs 5,000 crore under Mission Shakti, if the party comes to power in the State,” said Patnaik. The CM’s sops for women came a day after the BJP state unit promised in its manifesto to introduce “Sailabala Two-wheeler Yojana” for women to provide a two-wheeler free of cost to all meritorious girl students upon completion of Plus-two education.

“The BJD government will provide free education to all the girls from KG to higher education including medical, engineering and all types of educational courses and financial assistance of Rs 25,000 for marriage of poor girls,” he said.

Promising more for the women Self-Help Groups (SHGs), he said that the Mission Shakti workers will be engaged in Ashram school management, hospital management and supply of school uniforms to benefit them upto Rs 500 crore per year under the programme, if the party forms government in the state.

The CM’s sops for women came a day after the BJP state unit promised in its manifesto to introduce “Sailabala Two-wheeler Yojana” to provide a two-wheeler free of cost to all meritorious girl students upon completion of Plus-two education. Besides, it announced to provide financial assistance up to Rs 20,000 to meritorious girl students for higher educations.