Odisha cabinet nod for scheme to provide mobility support to SHG federations

Bhubaneswar, Jul 22 (PTI) In a bid to empower women self-help groups in the state, the Odisha cabinet has approved a scheme to provide mobility support to SHG federations, officials said.

‘Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana’ aims at providing benefits to community support staff and executive committee members of SHG federations by facilitating their access to two-wheelers, Chief Secretary P K Jena said.

The scheme and 17 other proposals from 11 different departments got the state cabinet’s nod at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday.

Under this scheme, eligible individuals will benefit from the full interest subvention on bank loans up to Rs 1 lakh to purchase a scooter of their choice, making a transition to sustainable mobility more affordable and accessible, another official said.

Around 75,000 community support staff and 1,25,00 federation staffers, including executive members and office bearers, will benefit from the scheme, the CS said.

The cabinet also approved that the scheme will have a dedicated budgetary provision of Rs 528.55 crore for the next five years.

The council of ministers also green-lighted a proposal for the introduction of Odisha Semiconductor Manufacturing and Fabless Policy to facilitate investment in the sector.

Noting that Odisha has been “making significant progress” in industrialisation, the official said the proposed policy envisions developing an end-to-end semiconductor ecosystem in the state.

The policy aspires to contribute to the national semiconductor ecosystem development and aims at transforming the state into a leading centre of semiconductor design and manufacturing in future.

At least one semiconductor manufacturing unit and around 100 fabless design companies are expected to be established in Odisha, generating around 5,000 direct employment and 20,000 indirect employment during the policy period of seven years, it said.

The cabinet also approved a proposal for making a budgetary allocation of Rs 1,001.14 crore for expanding services across the state with the objective to provide cancer care nearer to the households of the patients.
Eleven Comprehensive Cancer care units will be built within 2 years.

The cabinet also gave its nod to a proposal of widening and strengthening the Marshaghai-Jamboo road in the Kendrapada district.