Odisha govt announces Rs 17,000 cr livelihood intervention package

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Friday approved a special livelihood intervention package worth Rs 17,000 crore aimed at ameliorating the plights of migrant workers and the people affected greatly due to the Covid-19 pandemic in the rural areas.

Chief secretary Asit Tripathy said the livelihood intervention package will be implemented from June 2020 to March 2021.

The move aims to generate employment in rural areas through sectors like agriculture, fisheries & animal resources development, MGNREGS, forest and handlooms and handicrafts.

The government would provide Rs 6,440 crore for MNREGA works in the state. This would create 20 crore manndays for 46 lakh persons. Out of this Rs 140 crore would be spend for skill development of migrant workers.

Industrial parks at Dhamra and Dhenkanal

The Odisha government also announced two industrial parks of 1,000 acres each at Dhamra in Bhadrak district and another in Dhenkanal district with an investment of Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 crore in each project.

While a textile park will be set up at Dhamra, Dhenkanal will have a medical park, said the chief secretary.