Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik launches JalSathi initiative to empower women

With the aim of women empowerment, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday, December 18, launched the "Jal Sathi" program that engages women from the self-help group Mission Shakti, in water distribution and consumer management.

"Clean water is the most important thing for a healthy life. The inclusion of the women this initiative will strengthen the System and it will provide economic empowerment to women volunteers," said CM Patnaik.  

Jal Sathi program has been launched on a pilot basis in Bhubaneswar under the 5T initiative of Housing and Urban Development Department of the Odisha government. The 5T stands for Transparency, Teamwork, Technology, Time and Transformation. Women volunteers will ensure the supply of clean drinking water through piped water systems. The volunteers will also be handling field testing of water quality, providing new water connections, ensure regularization of connections, meter reading and bill generation and facilitating complaints redressal.

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CM Naveen Patnaik kick-started the campaign which will be implemented in 7 wards of Bhubaneswar on a pilot basis & in other places in next phases. Moreover, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO) and Women federation Jal Sathi to connect consumers and the Public Health Engineering Organisation / WATCO.

Odisha approves a new agricultural policy

‘SAMRIDHI’, the new Agriculture Policy for the year 2020 for Odisha was approved on December 17 by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.  ‘SAMRIDHI’s objectives include ensuring consistent sustainable growth in the income of farmers, ensuring that all policies also reach small and marginal farmers and ensuring stable and measurable empirical agriculture growth.

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The policy will also keep fisheries and livestock in focus along with the traditional crops. Garg stated that they will also emphasize on facilitating resources to the farmers for optimal use and opportunities for overall development. 

The Finance department in Bhubaneshwar had sought suggestions from a cross-section of the demography of Odisha - members of the civil society - for the preparation of the annual budget for the financial year 2020-21. The state government has been taking inputs from people to make the budget simple and people-oriented for the past few years.

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(With inputs from ANI)