CM announces cash awards of Rs 1 cr each for districts adjudged to have performed best in implementing welfare schemes
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 18: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday announced cash incentives in seven categories for districts that implement welfare schemes successfully.
At the concluding day of the district collectors’ conference at the secretariat here, Patnaik made the announcement. “To acknowledge the outstanding efforts and motivate sincere team work in the districts, the government will honour the districts every year in different fields,” he said.
The district that performs the best in disbursement of incentives for rural pucca houses will receive a cash award of Rs 1 crore. Similarly, the district adjudged the best in the coverage of BPL households in rural electrification, implementation of overall tribal welfare, welfare package for construction workers and skill development for employment generation would receive a cash award Rs 1 crore each, announced Patnaik.
The district adjudged the best for work in credit linkage to women self-help groups (SHGs) will receive a cash award Rs 1 crore, the chief minister said. The best model gram panchayat in each of the 30 districts will also receive a cash award of Rs 50 lakh each.
“This (the incentives for districts) will also promote healthy competition among the districts to do good work for the people,” said Patnaik. The government Friday announced cash award of Rs 1 crore to the district found to have done the best work on reducing infant mortality rate (IMR) and maternal mortality rate (MMR).
Talking about the implementation of social security schemes, the chief minister said as many as four million old and destitute people, widows and differently-abled people have already been covered under various pension schemes.
“In continuation of the same, now my government has planned an additional three lakh pensions to cover the left-out eligible persons under these categories during the current year. I have instructed the collectors to ensure inclusion of these additional beneficiaries by August this year,” he added.
The government has also decided to open old-age homes and drug de-addiction centres at every district, said Patnaik.
