Odisha government sanctions 23 RKVY projects worth around Rs 236 crore

BHUBANESWAR: The State-level Sanction Committee (SLSC) on Monday cleared 23 new projects of worth around Rs 236 crore under Rashtriya Krushi Vikash Yojana (RKVY). The projects are mostly in the sectors of agriculture, fishery, irrigation, food production, livestock development and allied activities.
“The SLSC examined 26 project proposals from 13 departments involving investment of around `250 crore and approved 23 of them worth `236 crore. These projects will be taken up during the current financial year,” Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Sourav Garag told reporters after the meeting.

The projects sanctioned, include increasing irrigation potential through individually owned borewells and cluster micro river lift points, popularisation of modern agricultural equipment, strengthening of cashew nurseries, promotion of intensive shrimp farming, installation of automatic milk collection units and development of integrated farming system for livelihood security of the small and marginal farmers.
Chairing the meeting, Chief Secretary AP Padhi directed the departments concerned to make the projects more utilitarian and income generating for the farmers. Each project should add to farmers’ production and productivity.

The Fishery and Animal Husbandry department was asked to promote culture of the nutritious small fishes in rural and tribal pockets. Consumption of this locally cultured fish will add to the nutritional security of the people, Padhi said.The State Government has so far implemented 615 major projects under RKVY which was started in 2007-08. Out of this, 417 projects have been completed and 198 other projects are in different stages of implementation.The State’s contribution to the Centrally-sponsored scheme is 40 per cent. In the current fiscal, the Centre has allocated `205.19 crore while the State has contributed `136.79 crore.