Odisha govt. announces package for the poor
The Hindu
It will spend ₹1,690 cr. on their welfare
As the COVID-19 pandemic triggered massive job loss and pushed millions into crisis, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday announced an assistance of ₹1,690.46 crore for economically and socially weaker sections of society. The package would primarily benefit landless farmers, construction workers, urban poor, particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs), beneficiaries of State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and physically- challenged students. According to the Chief Minister’s Office, 17.89 lakh landless farmers will get special monetary assistance of ₹1,000 under Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) for which ₹178.911 crore has been earmarked.The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.