Bhubaneswar: 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, Odisha governor Hari Babu Kambhampati said on Thursday.
Addressing on the opening day of the Budget session, Kambhampati said, “The government implements a people-first approach in delivering essential services, creating livelihood opportunities, and developing key infrastructure to the poor.”
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.
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“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.