Women and tribal empowerment core of Odisha governance model: Naveen Patnaik

Odisha leads the country in providing land rights under the Forest Dwellers Act, says Chief Minister

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on September 4 said the empowerment of women and tribal communities was at the core of the State's governance model under his government.

He said this at a function where he was conferred the Capital Foundation 'Lifetime Achievement Award', in recognition of his distinctive and outstanding leadership qualities. The award was conferred to him in presence of former Chief Justice of India, Justice N.V. Ramana. The award ceremony was organised at the India International Centre in New Delhi.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Patnaik said that he dedicated “this award to the four-and-a-half crore people of Odisha who have been continuously blessing me to serve them for the past 22 years. The faith they have in me is the biggest inspiration to work towards an empowered Odisha”.

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“Odisha has come a long way in the last 22 years. After the super cyclone of 1999, who would have thought that Odisha will set global benchmarks in disaster management and get awarded by the United Nations? Odisha, once known for ‘poverty’, is now known for the fastest ‘poverty reduction’ in our country,” Mr. Patnaik said.

"Our governance model, rooted in the empowerment of women, Mission Shakti, is something which we are truly proud of. Similarly, empowerment of tribal communities has always been close to my heart and Odisha leads the country in providing land rights under the Forest Dwellers Act. More than half a million tribal girls study in our hostels. Farmers have always been the backbone of our State and their hard work has fetched the State the Krishi Karman Award four times. Odisha is the only State to have doubled farmers' incomes," he said.

Odisha is set to host the Hockey World Cup twice in a row and has set up high-performance centres in various sports. “Odisha, the sports capital of India, has set standards for other States to follow. ‘Skilled in Odisha’ is a brand which not just Odisha but the country is proud of,” boasted the Odisha Chief Minister.