The Odisha government today decided to set up a Law Commission and an Agriculture Cabinet, besides changing the nomenclature of Agriculture Department to Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment.
Separate proposals in this regard were approved at the Cabinet Committee meet here presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
"Odisha is among the few states in the country, which will have an Agriculture Cabinet to look into the growth of cultivation and find ways to overcome hurdles being faced by farmers," Chief Secretary A P Padhi told reporters after the meet.
Agriculture Cabinet would be headed by the chief minister, Padhi said, adding, nine other ministers associated with agriculture and farmers would be members in the proposed body.
The other members included ministers of finance, agriculture, fisheries and animal resources, co-operation, water resources, energy, food supplies and consumer welfare, scheduled tribe and scheduled caste development and panchayati raj, Padhi said.
The proposed Agriculture Cabinet would deal with subjects like self-sufficiency in food grain production, employment creation, infusion of technology in agriculture sector, uncertainty in price index, raise income of farmers and investment in the agriculture sector, he said.
The chief secretary said the meeting of the Agriculture Cabinet would be held as and when required.
Asked the purpose of changing the name of the agriculture department, he said, as small and marginal farmers constitute an overwhelming majority of the total farmers, there was a need for placing focus on individual farmers to enable and empower them to avail the various benefits under different schemes and programmes of the government.
"Changing the name of the agriculture department to the department of agriculture and farmers empowerment will result in an inclusive approach and sharpen focus on empowerment of farmers for their overall development through various activities," Padhi said, adding, the cabinet approved the amendment of Odisha Government Rules of Business for the change.
Similarly, the Cabinet also approved changing the name of Planning and Coordination Department to Department of Planning and Convergence, Padhi said.
On the state government's decision to set up a Law Commission, the chief secretary said the new panel was required to improve and revise the existing law and enact law in consonance with the present scenario.
The complex job of advising the state government to amend the existing law, repeal obsolete law and consolidate, modify and bring reforms in law could only be undertaken by persons having sufficient experience and expertise in various branches of law, and administration of law and justice, he said.
"Therefore, it is considered necessary to constitute a Law Commission in the state," Padhi said, adding, the Commission would be headed by a retired chief justice of a High Court or a retried judge of the Supreme Court or High Court. There will be ten members in the State Law Commission and the tenure of the chairperson and members will be three years," Padhi added.
