Odisha Assembly begins; Guv outlines State’s development plans

Bhubaneswar: The first session of 15th Odisha Assembly started on Thursday with keynote address of Governor SC Jamir outlining the policy blueprint of the newly elected government.

Following this, the House was adjourned by Speaker Niranjan Pujari till tomorrow after passing a condolence motion mourning death of ex-members and defence personnel tabled by CM Naveen Patnaik and supported by Opposition parties.

During his address Jamir said the Odisha government was considering agriculture sector as the key to the state’s development. To store food grains the government is aiming at setting up mandis in every panchayat and cold storages in every block.

The state is targeting to irrigate at least 10 lakh hectares of farmlands in the next five years. Besides, non-functioning irrigation points will be restored, he added.

Further, the government is planning to set up a second agricultural university in KBK area.

Free health insurance policy will be provided to 55 lakh farmer families in the state.

On the housing sector, the Governor said all the thatched houses will be converted to pucca in a phase-wise manner.

The government would bring out a policy for the overall development of woman in the state, the address added.

A Labour Welfare Board would be set up for the betterment of workers in the unorganized sector.

An Odia university is also in the agenda of the state government to promote research and development of the Odia language.

On the infrastructure development Jamir said the State has plans to start Chief Minister Sadak Yojana besides expanding the purview of Biju Setu Yojana. A new Express Highway would come up to connect the western and southern parts of Odisha. All two-lane roads in KBK districts will be converted to four-lane.

Meanwhile, on the first day of the session, the House paid tributes to the departed leaders and martyrs.

Former speaker Yudhistir Das, ex-MLA Basudeb Majhi, Dibakar Nathsharma, Maheswar Majhi, Harihar Sahu, Kanhei Singh and Nanda Kishore Sharma were the ex-members whose demise the House mourned and observed 2-minute silence.

Similarly, the condolence motion mentioned the names of martyrs and paid tributes.