Naveen launches 'Nirman Kusuma' programme

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday launched 'Nirman Kusuma' programme for providing financial assistance to the children of the construction workers for their technical education in the state.

Launching the programme, Patnaik said 'Nirman Kusuma' would help fulfil dreams of construction workers' children. He said the children of construction workers would get financial assistance for their education in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics.

While an ITI student will be entitled to get financial assistance of Rs 23,600, a diploma student to get Rs 26,300 per annum. A total of 1878 students will get benefit from the programme.

Patnaik said the government had already deposited Rs 1.09 crore in the bank account of beneficiaries of the 'Nirmal Kusuma'. The chief minister said the government had decided to increase the financial assistance by 20 per cent for girl students. Female students from standard sixth to post graduation level are being provided financial assistance.

Meanwhile, the state government has doubled the death benefits for the construction workers. While the construction workers' family was getting Rs one lakh as compensation, now they will get Rs two lakh. Similarly, the accidental benefit has been doubled from Rs two lakh to Rs four lakh.