Odisha Cabinet approves Rs 200 crore fund for cultural revival and worker wage hikes

Bhubaneswar, July 10: The Odisha Cabinet, under the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, has greenlit several significant initiatives. These include the establishment of a Rs 200 crore corpus fund aimed at revitalizing Odia cultural pride through projects like the Odia Asmita Bhawan and the Odia Translation Akademi. The fund will also support endeavors such as the creation of a palm leaf manuscript museum, the development of the Paika Rebellion Memorial, and the establishment of e-libraries and Odia chairs at national and international universities.

Additionally, efforts will be directed towards securing national recognition for events like Bali Jatra, implementing the 'Kalakar Gouraba Nidhi Yojana' to support artists, and providing financial aid for training in Odissi music and dance. The Chief Minister emphasized the formulation of detailed guidelines and the formation of an expert committee to oversee these initiatives, with plans for future increases to the corpus fund as necessary.

Furthermore, the Cabinet directed the School and Mass Education department to expedite the hiring of 18,700 junior teachers. Addressing agricultural issues, Majhi announced the inclusion of around 5-6 lakh additional eligible farmers, including medium, large, and urban farmers, under the PM-Kisan scheme, previously excluded due to criteria from the KALIA Yojana of the former BJD government.

Moreover, plans were approved to revive and strengthen irrigation facilities at an estimated cost of Rs 144.38 crore between 2024-25 and 2028-29. The Cabinet also endorsed proposals to increase minimum wages across various categories of workers: unskilled workers from Rs 352 to Rs 450, semi-skilled workers from Rs 392 to Rs 500, skilled workers from Rs 442 to Rs 550, and highly skilled workers from Rs 502 to Rs 600.