Bhubaneswar: In a bid to strengthen agricultural infrastructure and enhancing farmers’ income, State government Saturday approved 20 new projects worth Rs 350 crore under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
Chairing the State Level Sanctioning Committee Meeting of RKVY, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi has directed the project implementing departments and agencies to complete the projects within the schedule time and ensure proper delivery of the services to farmers.
Agriculture secretary Sourav Garg presented 28 projects. However, only 20 projects were deemed feasible and were approved. These projects will be financed both by the Central and state government on 60:40 sharing basis. Out of total amount, the state plans to utilise Rs 120 crore during the current financial year.
The major projects approved included popularisation of agricultural machinery in the state were estimated at Rs 24.85 crore; strengthening of phytosanitary laboratory for issue of phytosanitary certificate estimated Rs 20.1crore; pest surveillance through light trap for crop protection (Rs 94.3crore); Rs 30.5 crore for strengthening up of biological control laboratories; waste management and generation of organic compost (Rs59.05crore); training cum campaign on safe use of pesticides (Rs 73crore);
Similarly, Rs 10 crore has been allocated for modernization and expansion of spice-processing unit at Kandhamal; Rs 91.83 crore for potato cultivation during Khariff season in Koraput district; Rs 27.20 crore for capacity building of farmers.
Besides, the state government has approved Rs 47.60crore for establishment of semi commercial layer units through women SHGs, one stop aqua shop with multipurpose go-down and flake ice machine at Rahama (Rs 10.7crore) and mini fish feed manufacturing plant (Rs 16.6crore) and supplementing livelihood options for PVTGs through field based cropping (Rs 15.88crore).
PNN