Naveen dedicates 200 hostels for students of Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 31:

In a special function organised at the Secretariat, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today dedicated 200 new hostels for the students of the state.

The hostels have been built by the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that development and welfare of tribals and dalits are the top most priority of his government.

“Students from scheduled class and schedules tribe are being educated in more than 1600 institutes of the state. More than 5000 hostels have been built and over 26,000 thousand students are being educated in various public schools under schemes such as Anwesha and Akanksha. 10 Kalinga model residential schools will be made functional by 2018,” said Patnaik laying emphasis on education.

“Odisha is a leading state in residential education and my government is committed to empower the students of scheduled class and scheduled tribe through education,” he added.

Patnaik also initiated distribution of forest land records to 20,000 tribal beneficiaries of the state under the Forest Rights Act in the event. He further assured the beneficiaries that they would be made part of all social welfare schemes of the government.