Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today directed the officials to provide winter assistance to all beneficiaries by December 1.

The Chief Minister put emphasis on the safety of elderly people while reviewing the cold wave situation in Odisha.

The state government will provide Rs 300 as winter assistance to each of the beneficiaries to buy blankets for this winter, said an official.

As many as 48 lakh beneficiaries enrolled under Madhu Babu Pension Yojana of Odisha government and National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) of the Centre would receive the winter assistance. The state government has sanctioned Rs 146 crore for this purpose, added the official.

The Chief Minister asked the district Collectors and officials of Panchayati Raj and Urban Development departments to make necessary arrangements for protecting the homeless people from the cold wave condition. “No one should be allowed to sleep under the open sky in these winter nights,” said the Chief Minister.

Till now, as many as 855 night shelters have been opened in Odisha to provide accommodations to homeless people. The Chief Minister has directed the officials to use school and panchayat office buildings as night shelters for the needy people, said the official.

Among others, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, Development Commissioner PK Jena, 5T Secretary VK Pandian and other senior officials of the state government were present at the review meeting.

Notably, the state government provides winter and summer assistances to eligible people in every two years.