Cellphone, silk, cooking gas cheaper in Orissa

With elections round the corner, Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik has announced various sops for different categories of people ranging from sales tax cut on certain consumer items to extension of the coverage of old age pension beneficiaries.

Using the platform of Republic Day celebration to woo voters, Patnaik has announced relaxation of sales tax in several items including cellphones, raw silk, cooking gas, leaf plates, match box and educational instruments. The quantum of relaxation, however, will be decided later, he said.

Similarly, the state government has decided to expand the age pension net to cover 50,000 more senior citizens in addition to the 11 lakh people already getting the benefit.

The monthly stipend for children living in orphanage and residential schools run by the government will also be raised from Rs Rs 300 to Rs 500.

Patnaik said, to encourage the self-help groups (SHGs) under Mission Shakti programme, the government has decided to exempt stamp duty for SHGs during signing of agreement.

Giving an account on the state government's performance on industrialisation front, the chief minister said a favourable climate had been created in this regard and plans were afoot to attract investment to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore in the mineral sector alone.

Efforts were also on to create self-employment opportunities for two lakh people in the state, he said and assured that work on the beleagured oil refinery at Paradeep will commence soon.

Patnaik, however, said that the top priority of the government was to develop the rural sector and in this regards various projects are being undertaken for construction of rural roads, safe drinking water facility and electricity supply system.

About 5,000 villages of the state will be electrified during the next three years, he said, adding Rs 850 crore will be spent on rural roads, state highways and national highways to improve road communication network.

Besides, Rs 800 crore will be spent on laying of all-weather roads to link all villages in the underdeveloped region comprising undivided districts of Koraput, Bolangir and Kalahandi (KBK) where the government is planning to set up three medical colleges in collaboration with private sector.