Bhubaneswar: The state Cabinet Tuesday approved Agriculture Policy 2020 rechristened as ‘Samridhi’ to ensure sustainable growth in farmers’ income.
The Cabinet approved eight proposals including the policy which has been prepared with three focus areas- encouraging farmers to diversify from paddy to high value crops like pulses & oilseeds, to provide proper market linkage and use of new technology to increase production, agriculture secretary Saurabh Garg said after the meeting.
The SAMRIDHI will lay focus on leveraging science and technology, adaptation to climate change, market linkage, higher productivity, creating infrastructure, diversification of production, skilling of human resources and strengthening institutions, he said. The eight-point strategy is making the new policy different from the existing agriculture policy-2013.
To encourage oilseeds and pulses cultivation, specific district level plans will be developed to identify and promote production clusters for oilseeds and pulses. The state has become a surplus producer of food grains by producing 117 lakh MT of food grains in 2016-17. The Cabinet approved the proposal to enhance the upper age limit for recruitment of lecturers (college branch) from 33 to 48 years. The higher education department will modify the Odisha Education Service 9 College Branch) Recruitment rules-1990, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy said.
It was decided to shift the headquarters of Odia University from Bhubaneswar to Satyabadi. The Cabinet also decided to exempt stamp duty of `2.15 crore in favour of Reliance (Poly Fibres Ltd) unit in Dhenkanal and amend the Odisha District Revenue Service Recruitment Rules-1983. Now, recruitment for RIs, ARIs and Amins will be done by State Subordinate Staff Selection Commission. The Odisha Judicial Service Rules has been modified to give age relaxation to ex-servicemen and persons with disabilities, the CS said.