Odisha sanctions 23 projects worth Rs 236 cr under RKVY

To boost farmers' income, the Odisha government today sanctioned 23 new projects worth around Rs 236 crore under the Rashtriya Krushi Vikash Yojana (RKVY), official sources said.
The sanctions were made at the State Level Sanctioning Committee meeting of RKVY two days after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik claimed that Odisha was the only state in the country where farmers' income has doubled in a decade.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary A P Padhi here. The meeting sanctioned 23 projects worth Rs 236 crore out of 26 projects worth Rs 250 crore, an official said.
The other three projects, estimated at around Rs 14 crore, were recommended for further technical examinations, Padhi said adding, the projects sanctioned are mostly in the agriculture, fishery, irrigation, food production, livestock development and allied activities.

While giving nod to the projects, Padhi directed officials to make them more utilitarian and income-adding to the farmers. He further added that 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. He said consumption of this indigenous fish would add to the nutritional security of the people.

Replying to reporters' query, Secretary Agriculture Sourav Garg said the major projects sanctioned today included increasing irrigation potential through individually owned bore wells and cluster micro river lift points, popularisation of modern agricultural equipment, surveillance and monitoring of common diseases of the ducks, livestock support services at the doorsteps of the farmers, strengthening of cashew nurseries, promotion of intensive shrimp farming, promotion of advanced fingerling nurseries, installation of automatic milk collection units and development of integrated farming system for livelihood security of the small and marginal farmers.

RKVY was started in Odisha in 2007-08. So far, around 615 major projects have been implemented in the state under the scheme. Of this, 417 projects have been completed and 198 projects are ongoing as per year-wise time schedule. The scheme is run with funding support from Centre and the Odisha government on 60: 40 ratio.
For 2017-18, the Centre has so far allocated Rs 205.19 crore against which the state government has provided Rs 136.79 crore, Garg said.