Bill Gates visits slum in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar – Here’s what he asked residents | Video
Accompanied by state government officials, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on 28 February paid a visit to a slum in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar and interacted with the people living there.
Gates visited the Biju Adarsh Colony in the Maa Mangla Basti and enquired about the well-being of the residents. He further interacted with the members of women’s self-help groups (SHGs) working there, reported news agency PTI.
Anu Garg, the State Development Commissioner, highlighted the amenities provided to the slum dwellers, including land rights, tap water access, sanitation facilities, and electricity.
“We have shown him that the slum dwellers have got land rights, tap water connections, toilets, and power supply. He expressed happiness over the transformation of the slum area into a model colony,” the news agency quoted Garg as saying.
Gates also asked the slum residents about the changes in their lifestyle as a result of the welfare schemes. “He asked about how we were living earlier and our present status,” a slum resident said.
Apart from this, the tech honcho also met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik later in the day. Gates, who arrived here on Tuesday, held discussions with the chief minister about various state government initiatives.
“Pleasure meeting @Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Mr @BillGates. Had a wonderful discussion on our technology-driven farmer empowerment initiatives, several welfare initiatives like #JagaMission, #MissionShakti, #OdishaSchoolTransformation, #BSKY, and healthcare transformation,” Patnaik said on X.
He appreciated the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for supporting innovation in extending inclusive benefits to the people.
“Thanked him for his praise for Odisha’s welfare initiatives and success in different sectors through #5T transformative governance,” he added.
Gates is scheduled to attend other functions including the ‘Mukta’ scheme (localized employment opportunities for the urban poor) and ‘Mission Shakti’.
During his visit, Gates visited the tech giant’s India Development Center (IDC) in Hyderabad and addressed some of India’s brightest engineering minds at the IDC, Rajiv Kumar, Managing Director, Microsoft IDC, and CVP, Experiences Devices India said as he shared Gates’ “optimism over the opportunity for an AI-powered India”.
Since 2017, the Odisha government’s Department of Agriculture & Farmer Empowerment and the Fisheries and Animal Resource Department have collaborated with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for innovation in data-driven decision-making.
With agency inputs.
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Published: 28 Feb 2024, 07:01 PM IST
Ganesh
http://ganesh@finplay.inFinance enthusiast, Mutual fund expert.