By Tapan Kumar Swain
\nBhubaneswar, March 24: Like the Narendra Modi government\u2019s National Mission for Clean Ganga, the Odisha government headed on Friday announced launch of Green Mahanadi Mission (GMM) for protection of the Mahanadi river.
\nFinance minister Sashibhusan Behera announced the launch of GMM during his Budget speech in the State Assembly.
\n\u201cMahanadi is the lifeline of Odisha. In order to enhance water availability and improve livelihood of people in the state, the river needs be protected. With this objective, a new Scheme Mahanadi Mission is being launched with massive participation of people\u2019s representatives and all stakeholders,\u201d the minister announced.
\nRs 30 crore has been allocated in the Budget for the Green Mahanadi Mission.
\nThe FM, however, did not elaborate what measures the government planned to undertake on the GMM.
\nChief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in his various speeches at different forums, have been pleading for ensuring the sanctity of Mahanadi, – by keeping it from all sorts of pollution.
\nThe finance minister presented a tax-free budget of Rs 1,20,028 crore for the year 2018-19.
\nThe Budget proposed to provide a sum of Rs 4,265 crore to the works department for improvement of 1175 km of roads, construction of 40 bridges and 5 railway over-bridges. The outlay for housing and urban development has been stepped up to Rs 5,162 crore.
\nThe budget marked an outlay of Rs 176 crore proposed for Special Development Councils (SDC) in 9 tribal dominated districts and Rs 120 crore under Biju KBK Yojana.
\nWhile Rs 103 crore has been proposed in Odisha Budget for Biju Yuva Vahini sub-scheme under Biju Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana Rs 5 crore provided for support under Odisha Start-up Policy.
\nAllocation to micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector increased by 45 per cent in 2018-19 to Rs 212 crore
\nSingificantly, Rs 2,900 crore has been proposed for rural roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, says Behera
\nThe outlay for housing and urban development has been stepped up to Rs 5,162 crore, said the finance minister.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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