Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurated two portals under the 5T initiative meant for the students to apply easily for scholarship (www.scholarship.odisha.gov.in) and Sumangal (www.sumangal.odisha.gov.in) for availing the inter-caste marriage incentive money easily.
In his keynote address on the occasion, the Chief Minister stressed that technology should be used so that a common man can be able to reap the benefits easily. He stated that this exercise can empower the general mass and can also render them best services in a transparent manner.
The CM informed that the State Government has been providing over 20 types of scholarships to the students through its various departments. This unitary portal would now help the students in a more efficient way and lessen the gap between the applicant students and the departments concerned. Now the students, especially from the economically weaker section, can easily apply from their homes and avail the scholarship at a stipulated time.
This unitary scholarship portal can now deal with the scholarship presented by ST & SC Department, Higher Education Department, School & Mass Education Department, Labour & ESI Department, Skill Development & Technical Education Department and Agriculture Department.
As this portal has been linked with the State Treasury, the scholarship money for the students can now be directly deposited to the registered bank accounts.
Gracing the occasion, ST & SC Development Minister Jagannath Saraka informed that around six lakh students are getting scholarships from the department.
Similarly, the Sumangal portal can now help the beneficiary of inter-caste marriage to avail the incentive amount of Rs 2.5 lakh within 60 days.
Prominent among others, the portals’ inaugural ceremony was also attended by CMO’s Chief Advisor R. Balakrishnan, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy, Development Commissioner Suresh Mohapatra, Agriculture Secretary Sourabh Garg, S&ME Secretary Satyabrata Sahu, ST & SC Secretary Ranjana Chopra and Secretary to Chief Minister’s 5T V.K. Pandian.