Bhubaneswar: In a major step towards economic empowerment of women, the Odisha government has decided to make ‘Mission Shakti’ as a separate department. The new department will exclusively work for around 70 lakh women associated with about six lakh woman Self Help Groups (SHGs).
Under ‘Mission Shaakti’ the Odisha government provides financial support to woman SHGs through bank loans to encourage rural women to take up various livelihood activities.
This is among the 16 major decisions taken by the Odisha cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik on Saturday. The 16 decisions are related to the departments of Energy, Agri & Farmer’s Welfare, Social security and empowerment of persons with disability, Excise, General administration and public grievance, Panchayati Raj and drinking water, Revenue and disaster management, and, Steel and mines.
The major decisions include creation of a new department named Mission Shakti. construction of ten mega rural pipe water supply schemes in Aul, Rajkanika, Chilika, Tangi, Banpur, Khordha, Jatani, Gondia, Bhubana, Golaminda, Jajpur and Binjharpur blocks. The constitution of rural pipe water scheme for 26 GPs of Sambalpur district and 2 GPs of Jharsuguda district has also been sanctioned in the cabinet. Besides, the cabinet has sanctioned the lease of 25 acers land for construction of one satellite center of AIIMS in Remuna Tahasil of Balasore district.