Outlay Of Agriculture Budget To Be Increased: Odisha CM

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday said that the outlay of Agriculture Budget would be enhanced with special focus to increase the area under irrigation and reduce the gap between the irrigation potential available in the state and the actual area brought under irrigation so far.

It was decided in the first meeting of Agriculture Cabinet Committee to fast track the policy and decision-making process for agriculture and allied sectors.

Details of decisions taken in the meeting
• The objective is to bring about a greater focus on agriculture and allied activities to bring about convergence between the related Departments to bring about a substantial improvement in farm household incomes. We have also changed the name of the Agriculture Department recently to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment in keeping with the objectives of the farmer oriented policies of the Government.

• In the first meeting today, the Agriculture Cabinet Committee has directed the P&C Department, Finance Department, Agriculture & Famers’ Empowerment and allied Departments, as well as all other related Departments to enhance the outlay of the Agriculture Budget, the details of which will be made available at the time of presentation of the Agriculture Budget.

• The Departments have also been directed to bring about convergence in their activities, programmes and schemes.

• The focus area of the Agriculture Budget will be to increase the area under irrigation and reduce the gap between the irrigation potential available in the State and the actual area brought under irrigation so far.

• The Budget will also focus on reducing farmers’ vulnerabilities to natural calamities, provision of credit and agriculture inputs in time, improving agriculture production and productivity by laying emphasis on modern farm technologies and development of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry sector.

• Emphasis will also be given on marketing of agriculture produce and creation of storage and Warehousing facilities for better post-harvest management of agriculture produce.

• My Government is committed to ensuring that farm household incomes are substantially enhanced through these initiatives.