Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday announced that the State Government would provide smartphones to all households of Malkangiri district’s Swabhiman Anchala free of cost.
Interacting with the people of the area through videoconferencing, Patnaik also launched the mobile phone distribution programme.
He said the initiative would improve connectivity in the region and ease students’ study-related activities.
As many as four mobile phone towers have been installed in Swabhiman Anchala while there are plans for another three towers with 4G network in the area.“A package of Rs 100 crore for development of the area under SETU Yojana was announced in July 2018 during the inauguration of Gurupriya bridge. The package amount has been increased to Rs 250 crore,” the CM said. Work for a 33×11-KV sub-station would be completed soon and an 11-KV 3-phase line connection would be provided to the residents. A total of Rs 100 crore would be spent for construction of concrete roads in all villages, 78 km of pucca road and seven bridges in the area, said Patnaik. For provision of drinking water, a mega pipe water supply project at a cost of Rs 20 crore has been initiated while work for 250 tube-wells has been completed.
An amount of Rs 32 crore would be spent for 43 lift irrigation projects and 419 cluster deep bore-wells. It would provide irrigation to 1,700 hectares of land, he said. On the occasion, Patnaik urged the Maoists to shun violence, join the social mainstream and cooperate in development of the area.