Bhubaneswar: Feb 28: Few more schemes announced by Finance Minister Pradip Amat while presenting the State Annual Budget for the year 2017-18, carry the names of different icons of the state. Earlier, most of the schemes were launched in the name of Biju Patnaik and this year’s budget smells somehow different as Naveen’s government tagged some other icons’ names with the new schemes to satisfy people of different parts of Odisha. Finance Minister began his announcement of new schemes with ABADHA(Augmentation of Basic Amenities & Development of Heritage &Architecture), which is a word linked with Lord Jagannath, the presiding deity of Odisha. For this scheme, Rs.100 cr has been allocated for the holistic development of Puri with aim to transform it into a world class heritage city. Amat has announced a new scheme called Buxi Jagabandhu Assured Water Supply to Habitations (BASUDHA) with an outlay of Rs.315 cr for urban and Rs.750 cr for rural areas. Another new scheme was launched tagging the name of Malati Devi, called Malati Devi Prak Bidyalaya Paridhan Yojana, under which uniforms for pre-school children will be provided. Bhima Bhoi Bhinnakshyama Samarthya Jojana, is a new scheme in the name of Bhima Bhoi, under which 73 cr will be spend for the welfare of persons with disability, which includes Rs.30 cr for identification, certification and distribution of aid and appliances through single window campus. Rs.185 cr was allocated for Gangadhar Meher Sikshya Manabruddi Jojana(GMSMY), which is tagged with the name of celebrated poet Gangadhar Meher. This sceme has been done to provide free school bags, educational kit to all children from class I to class V, free school uniform to all children from class I to class VII and free bi-cycles to all students of class IX in government, government-aided schools, Sanskrit tolls and madrasas. Other schemes announced were Mukhyamantri Swasthya Mission, Sampurna Yojana, UNNATI, Buxi Jagbandhu Nischita Jal Yojana and Swarna to help improve rural sports infrastructure and all.
Besides the above schemes, Finance Minister proposed the establishment of two chairs in the University of Hyderabad in the name of Bhakta Kabi Madhusudan Rao and at the Central University of Gujarat in the name of Kuntala Kumari Sabat.
