Bhubaneswar, July 16: Chief minister Naveen Patanik today came out with a policy for women as a reward for their overwhelming support to bring back his government to power for the fourth consecutive term.

The state cabinet gave its nod to the Odisha State Policy for Girls and Women, 2014, aimed to eliminate discrimination against them and provide them a conducive atmosphere for their overall development. The policy seeks to provide homestead land free of cost to the hapless women in rural areas.

The meeting chaired by Naveen also decided that any land or house sold in the name of women, will have to pay less stamp duty.

However, the exact amount of the stamp duty has not been decided. As the Assembly session is on, there was no cabinet briefing.

According to the policy, 0.04 decimal of homestead land in rural areas will be given to the vulnerable group of women — mainly widows and unmarried women above the age of 45, divorcees and other helpless women.

To encourage women to take up business, the cabinet also decided to extend land lease to self-help women groups to take up productivity. Mechanism will be taken up to ensure holistic development and empowerment through changes in social attitudes, building strong institutions and enhancing capacities.

A home department unit will be set up to co-ordinate things to check crime against women. All police stations will be asked to open help desks to deal with offences against women.

Sources said the cabinet also decided to move amendment in the Odisha Gram Panchayat, Pancahayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad to encourage women’s participation. Like gram sabhas, mahila sabhas will be set up. The women self-help groups will be encouraged to act as paralegal workers and promote community-level tracking, monitoring to reduce violence against women.

The policy aims to set up One Stop Service Centres in all districts to extend support for needs of women victims and survivors of violence. To promote girls’ education, the cabinet will set up Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya-like hostels at each block and to upgrade the existing vidyalayas to secondary level.

Pradesh Congress women’s wing president Bijaylaxmi Sahu said: “Any women friendly policy is welcome. But, it should be implemented in letter and spirit.”

The cabinet also accepted the Justice A.S. Naidu Commission’s report on the Khurda hooch tragedy that rocked the state in 2012. In the incident, more than 40 people were killed.

Sources said Justice Naidu has recommended that Rs 1.5 lakh compensation should be given to the next of the kin of each deceased.

Sources said the Naidu commission had also recommended institution of prizes to whistle blowers, who would give vital information to seize illicit liquor.