After funding various developmental programmes of the Odisha government, UK-based international donor agency - Department for International Development (DFID) is now keen to invest on small scale enterprises and fledgling companies.
“In addition to the work we do with the government in health and education sectors, we are planning to invest in the private sector,” Sam Sharpe, acting Asia director, DFID told reporters in his visit to Milk Mantra, an integrated dairy products plant at Gop near Konark, some 60 km from here. “From DFID, you can expect at least some investments in the small scale enterprises and start-up companies,” he added.
Sharpe was accompanied by a nine-member British parliamentary delegation which visited Odisha to oversee the development programmes implemented with DFID aid.
The British lawmakers led by Alan Haselhurst later called on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to discuss possible areas of cooperation between DFID and the state government. During discussions, the two sides agreed to cement ties in the areas of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), information technology, healthcare and technical education.
DFID is funding the Odisha Health Sector Reform Programme being implemented at a cost of Rs 800 crore. The programme was started in 2007 and is scheduled for completion by March 2016. Sources say, nearly Rs 400 crore has been spent under this programme wherein the thrust area is sectoral budgetary support for health, nutrition, water and sanitation.
Two major DFID funded programmes are on the pipeline- Odisha Girls Incentive Programme (OGIP) and Odisha Support to Urban Infrastructure (OSUI).
Sources say, during his visit to UK in May, Patnaik had met Andrew Mitchell, British secretary of state for International Development.
