“Odisha is one of the first states in the country to have come out with the Climate change Action Plan”
Aiming to deepen further its three decade long partnership with Odisha, UK said it is keen to offer its technical expertise to the state in the areas of climate change and economic development.
“Climate change is of vital importance today. Odisha is one of the first states in the country to have come out with the Climate change Action Plan. Climate change is one area where we can offer our technical assistance. We are also keen to offer our expertise in economic development as the state needs to create more jobs and the right investment climate,” said Desmond Swayne, UK minister of state for international development on the sidelines of the inauguration of ‘UK In Odisha Campaign’ organised by the British Deputy High Commission.
“Our private sector programme provides development capital investment to private enterprises in the form of equity and loans to support projects that may not have otherwise got off the ground. We invest in enterprises and projects that are both commercially viable and deliver development impact,” he added.
“Odisha has registered impressive growth of 8.7 percent in 2014 -15 and the proportion of people below the poverty line has also declined by 24.6 percentage points. DFID and UK are proud to have been partners in Odisha’s development journey for nearly three decades. The state government is making a remarkable effort and we as partners will continue to support it,” he said.
Striking a note of optimism for Odisha, Swayne said, “Things are happening in Odisha- in infrastructure and industry, in skills and education. Today, the tremendous potential of Odisha’s natural resources and of its people is being realised, more than ever before.”
Speaking on the occasion, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said, “While the present campaign will strengthen our existing partnership, it will explore new possibilities for alliance in other sectors also. I am happy to note that at present, there are six ongoing programmes supported by the UK government with a total commitment of more than 150 million pound. The current programmes involve strengthening in governance and administration and improving the urban infrastructure facilities in the state.”
British Deputy High Commissioner, Scott Furssedonn-Wood said, “We want to be a partner for the state as it builds that future. We want more talented young people from Odisha to study at the UK’s world class universities. We want more British companies and I have brought 10 British companies with me this week to bring their world class products and services to Odisha. We want to share more UK ideas and expertise as Odisha rises to the challenges of urbanisation and of climate change.”
Prasanta Patnaik 
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