Bhubaneswar: Bill Gates, the founder & Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates’ Foundation, who visited Odisha recently, has hailed the Naveen Patnaik –led Odisha government for providing opportunities for women to unlock new avenues.
Bill Gates was massively impressed during his visit to the Krushi Bhawan- the headquarters of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, where he also met some women farmers to learn how the initiates of the State government has been helping them.
“At the Krushi Samiksha Kendra, in Odisha, our co-chair, @BillGates engaged in a meaningful conversation with an entrepreneur Sangita Das, who’s transforming her life through online platforms like GO-SUGAM. Her inspiring story reaffirms the power of digital initiatives and how they provide opportunities for women to unlock new avenues,” wrote the Gates Foundation India in its X handle.
Our co-chair, @BillGates interacted with Sanjita Sahoo, who has benefited from Odisha’s @TheJagaMission. He learned more about the distinctive model of urban service delivery that has enabled slums to gain access to critical civic infrastructure and services. @CMO_Odisha… pic.twitter.com/LKT6XiFLbB
— Gates Foundation India (@BMGFIndia) March 7, 2024
In its reply, the Odisha Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), wrote, Bringing Govt services closer to citizens, #Odisha has launched several digital initiatives. With the use of GO-SUGAM portal, a #5T initiative, Govt is supporting farmers and agriculture entrepreneurs especially women. It is transforming the lives of farmers by giving a boost to their income.”
It is to be noted here that the Odisha government has been partnering with the Foundation since 2017 to forward shared goals around improving farmers’ income, nutrition security, and climate resilience in the state. This partnership has allowed the state to emerge as a leader in Digital Public Infrastructure, with the Government launching key farmer-facing systems including the Krushak Odisha database, GO-SUGAM portal, and Ama Krushi extension system. With strategic support from the Foundation, the government has also been able to complete successful pilots surrounding crop diversification through the Maize Mandi and APC projects. These initiatives have now been scaled up across the state.
Ms Kalinga