The Odisha Cabinet on Tuesday approved 13 key proposals related to seven departments, including Rural Development, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development (F&ARD), Cooperation, and Revenue and Disaster Management (R&DM).
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.