Odisha CM announces free smartphones for all households of Swabhiman Anchala

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today announced that the state government will provide smartphones to all households of Malkangiri district’s Swabhiman Anchala free of cost.

Interacting with the people of the area through videoconferencing, the CM also launched the mobile phone distribution programme.

The initiative will improve connectivity in the region and ease students’ study-related activities. As many as four mobile phone towers have been installed in the Swabhiman Anchala while there are plans for another three towers with 4G network in the area, said Patnaik.

“A package of Rs 100 crore for development of the area under SETU yojana was announced in July, 2018 during inauguration of Gurupriya bridge. The package amount has been increased to Rs 250 crore,” the CM said.

Work for 33×11 kv sub-station will be completed soon and 11 kv 3 phase line connection will be provided to the residents. A total of Rs 100 crore will be spent for construction of concrete roads in all villages, 78 km pucca road and seven bridges in the area, said Patnaik.

For the provision of drinking water, a mega pipe water supply project at the cost of Rs 20 crore has been initiated while work for as many as 250 tube wells was completed. An amount of Rs 32 crore will be spent for 43 lift irrigation projects and 419 cluster deep borewells. It will provide irrigation to 1700 hectares of land, he said.

On the occasion, Patnaik urged the left wing extremists to shun violence and return to the mainstream.