Bhubaneswar, November 14: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has announced that the state government will provide free smartphones to six lakh women self-help groups. The chief minister made the announcement at the women entrepreneurship event held in Odisha's capital Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, November 14. CM Naveen Patnaik Orders Inquiry; Action Against Seven Officials for Elephants Deaths in Odisha.

The initiative is part of the Mission Shakti programmes under the digital empowerment scheme.

The move is expected to benefit around 70 lakh women, said a report in The Times of India. The Odisha Chief Minister, speaking at the event, said that women from Odisha have come a long way and called the digital destination as the next ceiling to be conquered by the women.

CM Patnaik added that digital empowerment will go on a long way in making the women empowered socially as well as economically.  The Odisha CM also expressed his decision to launch certain social welfare schemes aimed at women in the state.

The Mission Shakti's modus operandi is to provide loans to the self-help groups through banks on lower interest rates. Naveen Patnaik became the chief minister of Odisha in the year 2000 and the Mission Shakti started in the year 2001.

This is not the first time that the Odisha government has announced free smartphones. Earlier, the state government had announced free cell phones for farmers in the state.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 14, 2018 03:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).