Bhubaneswar/Balasore: Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday launched the Centre's Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan in Odisha from Haripur in Mayurbhanj's Badasahi.
Under the scheme, the Centre plans to extend benefits of seven central schemes to every household of 400 under-developed villages.
Pradhan said: "We have to admit that the fruits of development programmes initiated by consecutive governments - both at the Centre and in the state - have not reached many villages".
Pradhan is scheduled to make a night halt at Haripur to gain first-hand knowledge about its requirements.
The Gram Swaraj drive from April 14 to May 5 will see Union ministers interact with people across the country to sensitise them about different central schemes.
During this time, there will be cleanliness drives in every gram panchayat across Odisha, while eligible beneficiaries will be distributed LPG cylinders.
The Centre is also providing beneficiaries of schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the Pradhan Matri Saubhagya Yojana the respective benefits under its Gram Shakti Abhiyan.
On Monday, as part of the Aayushman Bharat Abhiyan, information about the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Swasthya Surakhsa Mission and other health related schemes will be disseminated.
During the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, workshops will be held at every development block to make people aware about the Centre's target to double farmers' income by 2022.
In the last leg, skill development fairs will be organised in 4,000 development blocks for women members of self-help groups. Pradhan also inaugurated three projects, including a pumping station, the Paradip -Balasore section of the Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur LPG pipeline and the second production capacity enhancement of the LPG bottling plant, in Balasore .
Pradhan said 62 per cent households in Odisha have LPG connections against 20 per cent prior to 2014.
The LPG, which was earlier transported by road, would be brought to the district by pipeline that would reduce expenditure and traffic.
With the upgradation of the bottling plant, the unit will now be able to produce 3,000 bottles per hour and 1.3 crore per year against the existing 60 lakh per year, he said.
