Odisha Cabinet clears 13 proposals, extends rural infrastructure schemes
Bhubaneswar, July 14
The Odisha Cabinet on Tuesday approved 13 key proposals related to seven departments, including Rural Development, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development, Cooperation, and Revenue and Disaster Management.
The decisions were taken during the 44th meeting of the State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan here.
Speaking to media persons, Chief Secretary Anu Garg said seven of the proposals were from the Rural Development Department relating to rural infrastructure.
She said the government is very keen to develop rural infrastructure, and these seven proposals would contribute to that.
The state government gave its nod for the extension of the Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana (MMSY) and other initiatives linked to rural infrastructure being implemented under the RD department. The schemes have been further extended by the department for the next five years with necessary financial allocations.
During the press briefing, Garg asserted that the push for MMSY would enable the government to fulfil its resolve to ensure that power, water and roads reach every village and hamlet in the state.
The programmes that got extension include Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana - Missing Link Scheme, MMSY-Improvement to Existing RD Roads, MMSY-Connecting Unconnected Villages in Difficult Areas (CUVDA), MMSY-Transferred Roads Improvement Programme (TRIP), and Setu Bandhan Yojana (Rural Bridges).
The Cabinet extended the Setu Bandha Yojana, allocating Rs 11,800 crore for the construction of new and completion of ongoing 3,167 bridges across the state.
Additionally, Rs 600 crore has been sanctioned under the Bridge-cum-Weir Scheme for constructing 670 bridge-cum-weir structures, which will not only improve connectivity but also help conserve water.
The Cabinet approved the continuation of the Mukhya Mantri Krushi Udyog Yojana, aimed at promoting commercial agriculture and allied sector enterprises, providing capital investment subsidy to eligible agri-entrepreneurs. The scheme, with an outlay of approximately Rs 2,500 crore, seeks to create 8,500 commercial agri-enterprise projects over the next five years across agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, animal husbandry and allied sectors.
Garg said the scheme has already generated several success stories in sectors such as mushroom cultivation and poultry and is expected to create significant employment opportunities in rural areas.
The state Cabinet also approved a new legislation replacing the Odisha Agricultural Produce Markets Act (OAPM Act), 1956, bringing the state's agricultural marketing framework in line with changing market dynamics.
The new law aims to establish the concept of "One State, One Market", allowing farmers to sell their produce anywhere in the state without restrictions imposed by notified market areas. It also promotes electronic trading, integration with digital marketplaces, greater participation of food processing industries, enhanced transparency and improved price discovery for farmers and buyers.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The agri-enterprise scheme sounds promising. Mushroom cultivation and poultry - these are labour-intensive sectors that can absorb rural youth. But Rs 2,500 crore for 8,500 projects over five years works out to about Rs 29 lakh per project. That's decent capital but the implementation and training will be key. Let's see how transparent the subsidy process is.
Finally some attention to rural Odisha! The Setu Bandhan Yojana for 3,167 bridges - many of these are in remote areas where people have to cross rivers on bamboo rafts during floods. Real game-changer for communities cut off from health centres and markets. Hope the 'One State, One Market' law also works in practice, not just on paper 🏗️
Replacing the 1956 APMC Act with a modern 'One State, One Market' framework is long overdue. Farmers in my district used to get exploited by middlemen because they could only sell within notified market areas. Electronic trading and better price discovery could actually benefit small farmers if they get proper digital literacy training. The devil is in the implementation details though.
Good to see focus on rural infrastructure, but where's the accountability? Past schemes like MMSY in my area had roads that developed potholes within two years. The Rs 11,800 crore for bridges is huge - hope there's proper engineering supervision and quality audits. Also, the Bridge-cum-Weir Scheme for 670 structures with water conservation is smart dual-use design. Let's not waste this opportunity, Odisha needs these basics first. 💧
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