Bhubaneswar, Aug. 7: The Naveen Patnaik government today announced sops to pre-empt the model code of conduct for the civic polls.

Orissa High Court yesterday vacated the stay order, paving way for elections to the urban local bodies.

Elections to 90 urban bodies and the Berhampur Municipal Corporation are due by September as the tenure of the elected councils will expire on September 30.

Officials in the State Election Commission office said announcement of the poll dates might be made at any moment. Urban development minister Debi Parsad Mishra said: “It’s our constitutional obligation to conduct the election. The preparations in this regard have almost been completed.”

Anticipating announcement of the poll dates at any moment, chief minister Naveen Patnaik today announced additional pension for rural areas with special focus on destitute, widows and differently-abled under the the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana.

“It will be a litmus test for our government to weigh the public opinion before the 2014 general elections. If we fare well in the urban polls, it will certainly provide necessary boost to the general elections,” said a minister.

Sources said the government was worried as the Congress had won the elections to the three Notified Area Councils held this year.

“We are aware of it. We will step up our mass contact programme in the coming days. The Delhi chalo rally held in June was a part of that strategy,” said a senior BJD leader.

The ruling party today announced the next round of programmes on August 12 on the issue of special category state status.

Under the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana, the government will provide pension to additional 2.7 lakh persons. “An additional amount of Rs 100 crore will be spent in this regard and pensions will be distributed from October onwards,” said Naveen.

Of this allotment, 2,000 pensions per block will be kept reserved for the destitutes. A special drive will be launched to cover widows and differently-abled on priority.

“Gram panchayats will be actively involved in identification of beneficiaries and the entire process will be over by September. The pension will be distributed from October onwards,” he said.

Under the yojana, the state government will provide pensions to about 20 lakh persons and spend about Rs 729 crore.

To escape the model code of conduct, the state government today advanced the distribution of free laptops to the meritorious students. It was earlier scheduled on August 15.

In a symbolic move, the chief minister today distributed 20 laptops to selected candidates. A number of 15,235 meritorious students will get the laptops.

The chief minister also announced recruitment of 3,000 tribal youths as constables, who will be absorbed in the Odisha Auxiliary Police Force.

Reacting to the announcements, state Congress president Jaydev Jena said: “Naveen is afraid to face the electorate. Out of fear, he hurriedly announced sops to woo the voters. However, the voters will not be influenced by the allurements.”