ODISHA

Satsang system of life initiated by Thakur Anukulchandra has transformed into a social and cultural movement, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday. Addressing a massive gathering of Satsang followers at Talabania Sports Complex here on the occasion of the centenary celebration of the spiritual leaders arrival at Puri, Naveen said Thakur Anukulchandra dedicated his life to social service.

Beginning his address with the chants of Jai Jagannath and Jaiguru, the CM said Thakur Anukulachandra came to Puri with his disciples at the request of freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Boses parents. There are millions of his disciples not only in the country but also Odisha.

Chief minister and BJD presidentNaveen Patnaik announced his government’s plan to bring down POVERTY in the state to 10% in the next five years. Addressing party workers across the state through video-conference, marking the 25th foundation day of the BJD,NaveentermedOdishaa leading state in terms of reducing poverty.

The Odisha Economic Survey 2020-21 said poverty level in the state had gone down from 57.20% in 2004-05 to 32.6% in 2011-12, a reduction of 24.6%. Official sources said the state plans to come up with more Social Welfare Programmes and development initiatives to uplift the living standard of people, which will help in poverty reduction.
Naveen, on the occasion, presented a comparative picture of Odisha before the BJD assumed power in March 2000 and the present scenario. He said the state has now been progressing with a new identity in all sectors – be it Education, Sports, Health and Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture.

The Odisha Economic Survey 2020-21 said poverty level in the state had gone down from 57.20% in 2004-05 to 32.6% in 2011-12, a reduction of 24.6%. Official sources said the state plans to come up with more social welfare programmes and Infrastructure Development initiatives to uplift the living standard of people, which will help in poverty reduction.

Odisha is destined to become a trillion-dollar economy in the near future, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Make in Odisha (MIO) Conclave-2022 while addressing leaders and investors.

We will emerge as the gateway to East and Southeast Asia. I invite you to come and invest in a new Odisha, he said.

Odisha is fast emerging as a major Investment destination in the country. We are a progressive State with clear focus on transformation in all sectors. Our fiscal prudence and economic management has been appreciated across the country. We are one of the few States with adequate revenues to undertake large-scale Infrastructure projects, said Patnaik.

Our new Industrial Policy provides the support and incentives which are beyond the best in the country. We are launching new policies in the sectors of tourism, RENEWABLE ENERGY, apparel and textile, Food Processing, exports and so on, he mentioned.

Odisha has attracted major investments in steel and aluminium projects and will emerge as the global hub in these sectors by the turn of this decade. We are ambitious to develop Odisha in other sectors too, Patnaik said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said disaster and pandemic management is being introduced in the educational curricula for students from Standard-IV to graduation level with a view to preparing Disaster Management Yodhas in every village and household.

Odishas geographic location made it prone to natural disasters. Nearly 10,000 people died in the Super Cyclone in 1999. Then, the State did not have safe shelters. During these years, 815 multi-purpose cyclone and flood shelters have been constructed whiled 55 new shelters are under construction out of the Chief Ministers Relief Fund, Patnaik said.

For better impact-based forecasting, the Government would set up a Telemetric Rain Gauge in every gram panchayat, Automatic Weather Stations at block headquarters and sensors in river systems. These steps would help get precise real time information for more effective management of disasters.

The has approved the release of Rs 50 crore for theKonarkHeritage AreaDevelopment Project, which was proposed for the overall development of Konark into a world-class tourism destination.

In January, the state government had unveiled the draft master plan of the KonarkHeritageArea Development Project, which aims to transform the Infrastructure around the historic Konark Sun Temple. Theredevelopmentplan is based on four major aspects – celebrating the grandeur of the Sun Temple, enhancing visitors’ experience, boosting local businesses and strengthening tourism-based economy. Around Rs 150 crore will be spent in phases for the purpose.

The core area development plan, including the upgrade of the entrance of the 13th century Sun Temple, landscaping, development of pedestrian areas and parking and revamping of the open-air theatre will be taken up by the Archaeological Survey of India.

A committee led by finance minister Niranjan Pujari has given its nod to establish 34 new courts16 civil, 10 commercial and eight sessions courtsin the state, law minister Pratap Jena said here on Monday. Jena said the new courts will help reduce pendency and take the delivery system closer to people.

Odisha currently has more than 700 Subordinate Courts. According to a reply given by Union law ministerKiren RijijuinLok Sabhaon March 25, total 15.45 lakh cases are pending cases in lower courts in Odisha. They include 12.38 lakh criminal cases and 3.07 lakh civil cases. Similarly, 1.89 lakh cases are pending in theOrissaHigh Court.

The law department has asked the registrar of the Orissa high court for staff pattern and revised cost estimates for establishment of the different courts. As per the current estimate, the government would spend Rs 21.26 crore on Infrastructure.

While the NPA as on March 31, 2021 was Rs 11,339.37 crore, it has risen to Rs 13,645.17 crore, which is 7.20per cent of the total credit facility extended to people. This is at much higher side and alarming, said a senior member of the State-Level Bankers Committee (SLBC).

While the banks have provided total advance of Rs 1,89,404.28 crore, the NPA is Rs 13,645.17 crore. Each quarter, there is rise in NPA; and due to absence of stimulant recovery measures, the hike has been accelerated.The Pradhan Mantri EMPLOYMENT Guarantee Programme (PMEGP) has turned out to be having the highest NPA of 21.17per cent. The Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture term loan sector has also become a concern for bankers as the NPA level is as high as 11.10per cent.

The is harping on more and more advances to be extended to the Self-Help Groups (SHGs), but cases of NPA are coming to the fore. By 31 August 2021, credit of Rs 1,321 crore has been extended to SHGs and more than 8per cent of it has turned out to be NPA.

The NPA issue was raised in a recently-held SLBC) meeting, in which major bankers sought the State administrations cooperation to arrest the NPA rise.

The SLBC advised the banks to stimulate the recovery measures to curtail the growing NPAs and the State Government was requested to extend support in this regard. While the district administrations support was also sought in this regard, it was felt that proper monitoring and handholding support is also required to restrict fresh slippages.

The banks were advised to increase advance portfolio by extending more priority sector credit in the State. In the programmes like PMEGP, MULM, NRLM and SHG, the NPA is high and on rise owing to non-repayment of loans, mounting overdue.

While NPA is on rise, banks require support from District Magistrates for attachment of property and quick enforcement of the SARFAESI Act, it was felt.

More than 630 applications for such attachments are pending with several district administrations across State, it was pointed out.

In 2016, the Railways had faced widespread criticism and protest from people of the state for shifting the proposed wagon maintenance workshop in Kalahandi district to Visakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh. It had invited sharp political reactions from all the parties. Even chief minister Naveen Patnaik had taken up the issue with the then RAILWAY minister to give an alternate project in Kalahandi district.

Later the Centre had sanctioned the electric loco POH workshop in the Union Budget 2017. This is a maintenance workshop for electric engines. It had sanctioned a token amount in 2017 for the beginning of the project. Four years have already passed, but construction work of the project could not start.

An amount of Rs 3.28 crore has been allocated for the project up to the Budget 2021-22, said the reply of the Union minister.