
Double engine govt delivering and with accountability, says Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
He was addressing a programme on 'Empowerment of Kendu Leaf Workers,' organised jointly by the Forest and Labour departments at Sambalpur University auditorium.
Highlighting the vital contribution of kendu leaf workers to the rural economy, Pradhan said the government is committed to addressing their long-standing issues and empowering them through welfare initiatives. 'All the promises made to kendu leaf workers will be fulfilled. Today's programme marks a welcome step in this direction,' he said, adding that the previous government often failed to deliver on its commitments, such as the Rs 100 bonus on paddy announced at Sohela.
'Our government works on the principles of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayas,' Pradhan said. The union minister said that around 7 lakh metric tonne of kharif paddy worth nearly Rs 8,000 crore was procured in the state, and the direct benefit transfer (DBT) mechanism ensured financial support reached farmers directly. H
The minister announced that over the next five years, 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs will be set up in government schools to foster scientific mindset among children, and every gram panchayat in Odisha will have a Godabarish Mishra Model Primary School. Rural Development and Panchayati Raj minister Rabi Naik, Sambalpur MLA Jay Narayan Mishra, Rengali MLA Sudarshan Haripal and Jharsuguda MLA Tankadhar Tripathy were present at the event.
Earlier in the day, Pradhan inaugurated the regional conference 'Saksham 2025' organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) organized at Indian institute of Management - Sambalpur (IIM-S), where he urged chartered accountants to actively support grassroots economic activities.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
Midscale play: Taj owner to buy 51% in Clarks for Rs 204 crore
MUMBAI: Tata Group 's flagship hospitality arm, The Indian Hotels Company, (IHCL) is set to acquire a controlling stake in midscale chain Clarks, strengthening its play in the country where tourism and business travel are rapidly growing. IHCL, known for the Taj chain, will buy 51% each in ANK Hotels and Pride Hospitality for a total of Rs 204 crore, adding 135 properties to its portfolio. Additionally, it has formed a distribution and marketing agreement with Brij Hospitality, which operates 19 hotels under the Brij brand in the country. The moves will allow IHCL to better serve India's heterogeneous market with a deeper penetration in the midscale sector while continuing with its asset-light growth strategy. The deals follow announcements from IHCL's sister companies, Tata Motors and Titan, on their acquisitions of international brands like Iveco and Damas. ANK, founded in 1996 and headquartered in Lucknow, has a portfolio of 111 hotels (67 in operational and balance in pipeline) under Clarks Inn, Clarks Inn Suites and Clarks Inn Premier brands in India and Sri Lanka. Pride, established in 2005 and based in Jaipur, has 24 hotels (13 operational and rest in pipeline) under Clarks Safari, Clarks Collection and Clarks Resorts brands in the country. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Resmed AirSense 11 with flat 20% off ResMed Buy Now Undo IHCL, established by the Tata Group in 1899, and opening its first hotel, Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai four years later, currently has 392 hotels (249 in operation and the remainder in pipeline) in India and abroad. It generates more than half of its revenue from domestic hotels, followed by international hotels and air catering businesses. In addition to the Taj brand, it has nine other brands including Claridges, Seleqtions, Gateway, Vivanta, Ginger, Tree of Life, and Ama Stays & Trails. While the country's hospitality sector experienced booking cancellations due to India's military actions in Pakistan and geopolitical conflicts in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, it anticipates strong business for remainder of the year driven by weddings, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), and diplomatic visits by heads of states. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays , public holidays , current gold rate and silver price .


Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
CM asks mins to supervise ‘Amader Para' camps to solve local issues
Kolkata: With the footfall of Amader Para Amader Samadhan (APAS) crossing 25 lakh on Monday, at 4,654 camps held so far, chief minister Mamata Banerjee asked ministers to supervise the event in their respective districts and address local grievances. During the cabinet meeting on Monday, the CM told the ministers to coordinate with the DMs to overcome bureaucratic delays in solving small issues like putting up street lights or repairing a tap. The CM also chalked out plans so that the APAS camps cover over 80,000 booths in the state ahead of the 2026 assembly polls. The APAS camps started on Aug 2 and will continue till Nov 3. As many as 28,529 camps are scheduled to take place across the state. On Monday, 739 APAS camps were held, with a footfall of 4.3 lakh. The CM allocated Rs 8,000 crore for the APAS programme, with Rs10 lakh to be spent for each booth. She set up a task force headed by chief secretary Manoj Pant to monitor the programme. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata People are also attending the camps to get the benefits of Duare Sarkar, as they can apply for social welfare schemes of the state govt. The state cabinet also approved the creation of 627 posts, which included 122 posts in the health department. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.


Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
Gadkari: Farmers will have to become fuel producers to reduce biofuel import
Pune: Stressing on the need to increase the biofuel production to make India self-sufficient, Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday said the country's farmers would have to produce it. He said, "Indian farmers will have to be encouraged to become fuel producers, along with food producers, to reduce the burden of biofuel import," he said, addressing the 10th anniversary of the World Biofuel Day event organised by Praj Industries in the city on Monday. Founder chairman of Praj Industries Pramod Chaudhary and managing director of Kirloskar Brothers Sanjay Kirloskar were present at the event. Lauding the efforts of the automobile industry in the country's development, Gadkari said surpassing Japan, India had become the third biggest automobile producer in the world and it gave maximum revenue to the country. But the minister reminded the audience that the industry was also contributing to air pollution. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune "Nearly 40% of the air pollution is because of motor transport. We are still not being serious about its ill-effects. Along with economic development, we also need to balance our ecology, and for that, biofuel will play the most important role in the coming years," Gadkari said. The minister said India was still heavily dependent on the import of biofuel. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Unforgettable Cars from the Past Undo "India has to import biofuel worth Rs22 lakh crore per annum. If we encourage the production of biofuel in the country, it will not only address the ecological issue but also reduce the economic burden on the country," he said. Gadkari stressed on the need to increase the agriculture sector's share in the Indian economy to improve the rural economy. He said, "While the country's economy is growing, the situation of the rural sector is deteriorating. Nearly 60 to 65% of the population is still dependent on agriculture, but its share in the Indian economy is merely 12 to 14%. If we want to achieve the goal of becoming the third largest economy, the agriculture sector will have to contribute 22 to 24%. The govt has adopted a policy of diversification of the agriculture sector to promote power and energy generation." He said, "Today we have ample production of agricultural produce, but farmers are not getting the desired remuneration. If we utilise the production for creating biofuel, it will help farmers to get more money and change the rural economy. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.