Odisha unveils Rs 17,000 crore livelihood package
Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik
BHUBANESWAR: As return of large scale migrants from different states has led to serious unemployment situation in rural areas, the state government on Friday announced a special livelihood intervention package worth Rs 17,000 crore, a move that aims to generate employment opportunities through different sectors like agriculture, fisheries, MGNREGS, skill development, forestry, handlooms and handicrafts.
The state council of ministers chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik that met over videoconferencing to mark completion of the first year of the fifth term of the BJD government approved the livelihood package, which will be implemented during a period of 10 months between June this year to March next year.
“The Covid-19 pandemic is not only a public health crisis but also an economic crisis as well. Since a major portion of the population lives in rural areas, a special livelihood intervention was necessary for their economic development. The farmers and wage earners will get direct benefit from the livelihood package,” said chief secretary Asit Tripathy.
Amid lockdown over Covid-19 pandemic, over 4 lakh Odias have already returned to the state while another four lakh are expected to return to Odisha in the next a few weeks.
While explaining details of the livelihood package, Tripathy said Rs 373 crore will be spent under the agriculture and fisheries and animal resources development sectors which would benefit nearly 25 lakh farmers.
“In agriculture sector, we will provide 5.5 lakh quintals of certified quality seeds to 10 lakh farmers at 75 per cent subsidy. Similarly, 5 lakh farmers will be provided with hybrid vegetable seeds covering 50,000 hectares while another 5 lakh farmers will be supported with vegetable mini kit covering. The state government will also support additional 2 lakh farmers for backyard plantation of fruit plants,” said Tripathy.
The livelihood package also include support to the farmers in the tribal areas for high value vegetable crops, financial assistance to betel farmers and support to 5,000 women self help groups (WSHGs) and 10,000 individual farmers for mushroom cultivation while another 3,000 farmers will be supported for floriculture.
With fisheries and animal resources development a major source of income for people in rural areas, the package targets to create 2,000 hectares of new fish ponds benefiting 5,000 farmers, input assistance to 1500 women SHGs for pisciculture in panchayat tanks, livelihood support to 15,000 marine fishermen while 1,000 farmers will be supported with intensive aquaculture technology. The package also aims to support farmers to set up 4,500 new broiler farms and 750 layer farms.
The state government’s plan to disburse crop loans worth Rs 9,000 crore to 20 lakh farmers during the ongoing Kharif season is also part of the package. Also, another Rs 700 crore has been proposed as interest subvention on previous crop loans. Last year, government provided loans worth Rs 7,000 farmers to 18 lakh farmers.
In view of the Centre’s decision to allocate additional Rs 40,000 crore under the MGNREGS, the state government has also set an ambitious target to create 20 crore person/days of works under the rural job scheme. Over 6,440 crore is estimated to be spent under the rural job scheme.
“The panchayati raj department has also targeted to provide skill development training to 40,000 migrants, to create 1.05 lakh farm ponds under Mo Pokhari scheme and to create 5 lakh nutri gardens under which fruit-bearing plants will be supplied in rural areas,” said the chief secretary adding the forest and environment department would spend around Rs 500 crore for employment generation through various initiatives.
Also, the apex cooperative societies in handicrafts and handlooms sector like Utkalika and Boyanika will be provided Rs 5 crore and 25 crore respectively for procurement of produces from artisans and weavers.
The chief secretary said the administration will work in a very focused manner in the next a few months for successful implementation of the livelihood package.
The package, however, has failed to enthuse the farmers leaders as they demanded direct financial benefit for farmers at the moment.
“We have been continuously demanding social security pension for farmers under which the state government should transfer money directly to the accounts of farmers. The state government should announce all these packages only after transferring money to the accounts of farmers,” said Akshaya Kumar, convenor of the Naba Nirman Krushak Sangathan, a leading farmers’ outfit.