With an aim to improve health, education and other needs of minority communities in Odisha, the Centre on Saturday announced to include 19 blocks and one municipality and provide Rs 200 crore under the Multi-Sectoral Development Programme (MSDP) of Union Ministry of Minority Affairs.
The 19 selected blocks are in the four districts of Kandhamal, Rayagada, Gajapati and Sundargarh and the municipality in Bhadrak town area, official sources said.
The Ministry would provide Rs 10 crore to each block and the municipality under the MSDP which would be implemented during the current fiscal, they said. The programme is at present being implemented only in Gajapati district.
The MSDP would help boost health, education and other essential needs of the minority communities, said Union Minority Affairs Minister Ninong Ering after meeting CM Naveen Patnaik here.
The scheme provides pucca housing, safe drinking water supply, water closet toilets and electricity for each household. The Union Minister, however, expressed displeasure on expenditure by the state government under the scheme. State ST and SC Development and Minorities and Backward Welfare Secretary Santosh Sarangi, however, said, “We have spent 86 per cent of the allocation which is the highest in the country.”