State govt approves 24 agri development projects worth Rs 250 cr

Surjit kumar Dhal, Bhubaneswar, July 12: In a bid to develop agriculture and allied sectors and maximize returns to the farmers in Odisha, State Government on Thursday approved as many as 24 projects for the 2019-20 fiscal worth over Rs 250 crore.

These projects were approved by the State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi here.

Padhi directed all the stakeholders to ensure that the projects help to maximize agricultural production, maximize returns to the farmers and provide means of livelihood in agriculture sector.

He also stressed submitting the expenditure report of the investment in various agriculture and allied sectors for the year 2018-19 within the given deadline.

Agriculture Secretary Sourav Garg later told reporters that 24 projects on various sectors including Crop Cultivation, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Integrated Pest Management, other Agriculture Programmes and Cooperation were approved in the meeting.

Garg said the meeting also discussed about 11 projects aimed at reviving the betel vines, mushroom farming, vegetable crops and sugarcane farming that suffered huge damage due to cyclone Fani on May 3.

“This includes projects to revive fish farming in cyclone hit areas,” he said.

Notably, the RKVY has been in force in Odisha since 2007-08 and in total 749 projects have been taken up under the scheme till date.

While 496 projects have been completed, works of rest 253 projects are underway as per the annual schedule.

As per the RKVY, funds are provided to the State on 60:40 grants basis between Centre and States.

A budget of Rs 343.67 crore has been allocated for the current financial year 2018-19.