Bhubaneswar, Nov 18 (PTI) Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday inaugurated another 158 transformed schools in five districts and launched smart health card distribution under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana in tribal-dominated Keonjhar district through virtual mode.

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The 158 schools were inaugurated in Malkangiri, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj, and Khurda districts.

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So far, 689 transformed schools have been made available to students.

As many as 1,075 such transformed schools will be dedicated to the students in the first phase within November 24.

The transformed schools have modern facilities like smart classrooms, e-library cum reading rooms, science laboratories, hygienic toilets, safe drinking water, and sports infrastructure.

Of the 158 schools inaugurated on Thursday, six are in Malkangiri, 25 in Jharsuguda, 29 in Kalahandi, 60 in Mayurbhanj, and 38 in Khurda.

Students from five districts interacted with the chief minister about the school's transformation programme.

“We are excited about the smart facilities in the transformed school. It has strengthened our morale to meet our goals” they said.

When asked by the chief minister about what they wanted to do in the future, the students said they would become IAS officers, teachers, doctors, engineers, social workers, and journalists.

Meanwhile, in another event, Patnaik launched smart health cards in Keonjhar district on virtual mode from here.

As many as 4.19 lakh people of the tribal-dominated district will benefit from the smart card facility.

With this, the BSKY health cards have been distributed in 13 districts of the state.

The chief minister also laid the foundation stones of various development projects worth around Rs 1,433 crore for Keonjhar district on the occasion.

Patnaik said piped water supply will be provided to all families in the district by 2022.

A mega poultry project will also be launched to improve the income sources of the tribal population of Keonjhar district, he said.

As many as 3.5 crore people of 96 lakh families will be provided with health cards. Each family can avail treatment cost up to Rs 5 lakh per annum and women members up to Rs 10 lakh. The cardholders can avail treatment at 200 hospitals across the country.

Patnaik said Odisha is the first state in the country to have launched such a scheme in the health sector.

Beneficiaries of the national and state food security schemes, Annapurna and Antyodaya, will get it, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)