At a State-level convention of Mission Shakti groups at Talabania Sports Complex here, the CM also announced that cheque of Rs 15,000 will be given to three lakh new Women SHGs as seed money. Besides, Patnaik announced to provide financial assistance of Rs 3,000 to each SHG for smartphone. During the Make in Odisha conclave last year, the CM had announced to provide smart phones to six lakhs women SHGs in a bid to empower them digitally and further accelerate their socio-political and economic empowerment.

This apart, revolving fund of Rs 25 lakh will be given to 338 existing block federations in the district.

More than 60,000 members from 29,000 women SHGs from various places across the State attended the programme.

In view of the CM’s visit to the pilgrim town, elaborate security arrangements were made to avoid any untoward incident during the programme.  Earlier in the day, the Puri police took Jagannath Sena convenor Priyadarshan Patnaik to preventive custody ahead of CM’s visit.

The CM skipped the official programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Baripada and attended the State-level convention of women SHGs. However, he had joined PM Modi in a programme at Argul in Jatni during the latter’s visit to the State on December 24.