BHAWANIPATNA/BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday launched distribution of Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) smart health cards for Kalahandi and Nuapada districts where close to 16 lakh people will benefit from the scheme. Unmoved by the Opposition protests across districts over Minister of State for Home Dibya Shankar Mishra’s ouster, Naveen unveiled the scheme and dedicated new infrastructure projects from Bhawanipatna.
The Chief Minister arrived at Agriculture university ground here at 11 am and distributed health cards to the beneficiaries. He also digitally inaugurated 201 different projects valued at Rs 179 crore and laid foundation stones for 48 development projects estimated at Rs 680 crore for Kalahandi district.
In his recorded speech which was played at the venue, the Chief Minister said that Kalahandi has surged ahead in development parameters and set a new example. The government is committed to more welfare work. Projects worth Rs 2500 crore have been initiated to provide drinking water to all villages while 68 percent of the land in the district has been irrigated, he said. Kalahandi, he added, has also turned into an education hub with agriculture, engineering colleges and polytechnics. Work on the medical college work is underway and it will operate soon.
Mishra who shared the stage with the CM also spoke and concentrated on the work done by the BJD government for development of the district. Even as the function attended by the Chief Minister passed off smoothly, protests raged at several other places in the state. Eggs were hurled on the vehicle of Women and Child Development Minister Tukuni Sahu at Narla as she was on her way back from the function at Bhawanipatna. Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Jyoti Prakash Panigrahy also faced the wrath of Opposition activists who threw eggs on his vehicle near Kalampur.
Similarly, Agriculture Minister Arun Sahu and Minister of State for Skill Development and Technical Education Premanand Nayak faced protests at Kesinga and Karlamunda while distributing smart health cards.The Chief Minister also inaugurated projects worth Rs 480 crore including two mega pipe water projects at Nuapada and Komna.