Bhubaneswar, March 18: Agriculture in Odisha has been on the growth trajectory and has proven to be the most resilient economic activity of the State, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the State Assembly on Thursday.
Replying to the debate on Governor’s address to the House, Patnaik said the State government is sensitive to the needs of our farmers.
“Our government has been preparing a separate budget for this sector for judicious allocation of resources, better targeting of farmer’s needs and also to boost productivity”, he said, adding the allocation made during 2013-14 was 27 percent higher than 2012-13 and during 2014-15 the allocation was 33 percent in excess of the previous year.
“This indicates the State’s increased commitment towards the farmers”, the Chief Minster said and added that despite widespread moisture stress experienced across the State, the farmers have been able to produce 120 lakh MTs of food grain.
“This could be possible due to the quick response of our government to the needs of farmers”, he said.
Due to the significant achievement in productivity, Odisha has become the recipient of the prestigious Krushi Karman Award for the fourth time during the last five years, he claimed.
“Odisha has taken a ground- breaking step of providing health insurance up to Rs one lakh to maximum of five members of every farming family including the farmers under Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana to safeguard them from health hazards,” Patnaik said in his reply to the debate.
“We have successfully organized the first Nabakalebar Festival of the new millennium which has placed Odisha in the international tourism map. Odisha has become the most preferred destination for investment not only in the country but across the globe due to the climate of peaceful industrialization and industry friendly policies”, he stated, adding his government has been able to substantially increase irrigation potential of the State through mega lift points, deep bore wells and check dams.
“We are about to achieve conversion of one million thatched houses into pucca houses in rural areas. We have extended the scope of on-going State schemes like Gopabandhu Gramin Yojana to the whole of Odisha in view of the closure of important schemes by the Central government”, he said.
Patnaik stated reduction of poverty cutting across different regions and segments of society has been the hallmark of Odisha’s growth which is both inclusive and holistic.
“The pace of poverty reduction in the State has been the highest in the country at 24.6 percent between 2004-05 and 2011-12”, he said, adding the global economic slowdown has had an adverse impact on the State economy.
“But by taking better revenue mobilization measures, we have been able to increase our tax revenue by 17.43 percent and non-tax revenue receipt by 10.40 percent, thus making the tax / GSDP ratio to climb to 6.38 percent.
Despite uncertainties in the quantum of central transfer and pending receipt of the recommendation of the Fourteenth Finance Commission, we could formulate a pragmatic budget for 2015-16 with a plan outlay of Rs 44,150 crore”, Patnaik said, adding the State government intends to increase it to Rs 45,000 crore in 2016-17.
He said Odisha’s real per capita income at 2004-05 prices has increased from Rs. 14,862 in 1999-2000 to Rs. 25,415 in 2012-13.
The Chief Minister said the government has substantially increased budgetary allocation in agriculture sector. “The Water Resources Department has been taking required steps to complete some of the on-going major/medium/minor irrigation projects, expanding the canal systems in the reservoir projects, construction of 10,000 check dams, one lakh Deep Bore Wells, a large number of Lift Irrigation projects and 175 Mega Lift Irrigation Projects”, he said, adding there has been an overwhelming response from farmers to the Mega Lift Irrigation project which was commissioned recently in Kalahandi and Bolangir.
He assured the House that the National Food Security Act of 2013 has been successfully implemented in the State with a robust data base and the Ration Card Management System.
On allegations by Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra on irregularities in recruitment of Assistant Executive Engineers, Patnaik said the suggestion received in Chief Minister’s Twitter Account was forwarded to General Administration Department which in turn referred the same to OPSC.
