New Indian Express reports on this. Following are some excerpts.

The Department for International Development (DFID) of UK has agreed in principle to provide Rs 228.6 crore (30.487 million pounds) to the Orissa Government for the public enterprises reform programme.

Out of this, 29.8 million pounds would be provided to the State Government in the form of financial assistance and 0.687 million pounds would be given under technical cooperation grant.

The budget provision under the State plan is meant for redundancy payment to the employees of the public sector undertakings (PSUs), 80 per cent of which is reimbursed by the DFID.

Since the start of the Orissa Public Enterprises Reform Programme (OPERP), the State Government has reimbursed Rs 240 crore from the closure of 11 enterprises and more than 32,000 workers have availed of VRS during the period. The State Government has set a target of restructuring four units and privatisation of two PSUs during the next financial year.

The units to be restructured are Orissa State Seeds Corporation, Orissa State Civil Supplies Corporation and Orissa Forest Development Corporation. Besides, the OSCARD bank, Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation of Orissa, Orissa Bridge and Construction Corporation, Orissa State Cashew Development Corporation, Orissa State Housing Board and Orissa Agro Industries Corporation will be restructured in later phases.

Independent studies are also being conducted to assess the post-reform outcome for Orissa Lift Irrigation Corporation, Orissa State Finance Corporation and Orissa Construction Corporation.