Odisha CM Reviews Corona Pandemic Situation; Urges to Scale up Testing Capacity to 15,000 Samples per Day

• Odisha Govt to Provide Incentive to WSHGs for Supplying Food
• Ideal Policy to Address Problems of Industrial Units
• Transportation Services in Green Zones Soon
• Govt to Enhance Loans for Farmers and SHGs
• Special Focus on Districts Witnessing Return of Large Number of Stranded People

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today stressed the need to enhance the testing capacity to 15,000 samples per day for detection of COVID-19 cases in the State.

Reviewing the Corona pandemic situation in the State with senior officials through video conference on Tuesday, the Chief Minister urged them to take necessary steps to increase the testing capacity to 15,000 samples per day to contain the spread of the COVID-19.

The COVID-19 situation in the State is so far better than other States. The CM thanked all frontline warriors such as doctors, medical staff, police, Panchayati Raj Department, district administrations, urban local bodies and others for effectively handling the crisis arising due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Naveen urged the frontline warriors to keep up their dedicated fight against the coronavirus.

Reviewing the situation, the Chief Minister said that the government would allow the return of stranded Odia people from Surat by train in view of the problems faced by them due to risky road journey.

The Chief Minister further said that various activities relating to agriculture, industry and livelihoods will be allowed in green zones.

There will also be normalcy in transportation services in the green zones, the CM said.

The State Government will come up with an ideal policy to address the problems of the industrial units due to the lockdown.

The government will also enhance loans to farmers and SHGs.

Lauding the efforts of Mission Shakti, the Chief Minister said that the Mission Shakti members have really worked very hard in this difficult situation to provide more than one crore meals to the needy. Hence, the government has decided to provide an incentive of Rs 2 per meal from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, he added.

The Chief Minister also directed the officials to give special focus on districts like Ganjam, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore and Jajpur which will record maximum return of stranded Odia people from various parts of the country.