CONGRESS ANNOUNCES BIG SOPS FOR SC/ST, WOMEN IN ODISHA

In a bid to woo scheduled tribe and scheduled caste communities ahead of elections, the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has announced that the party will launch a special drive to fill up vacancies reserved for SC/ST in government posts. In addition, the Congress guarantees loan waivers of up to Rs 5 lakh for the women self-help groups, a monthly allowance of Rs 2,000, and Rs 3,000 for ST and SC women, Congress leaders said. If any tribal village becomes ‘Nasha Mukt’, every year Rs 10 lakh will be spent on its development, they said. Besides, all women of the village will be given Rs1 lakh per year as an incentive, Congress claimed.