Besides NFSA, Odisha to introduce own Food Security Act

Bhubaneswar:Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today sought special category status for the state while announcing a plan to bring a holistic Odisha Food Security Act "very soon" for vulnerable sections of the society, besides implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

"We have been historically neglected for our just demands.

Odisha faces maximum number of natural disasters. Huge resources are required to rebuild lives and livelihood of people. It is in this backdrop that Odisha deserves special category status," Patnaik said in the Assembly.

The chief minister was replying to the debate on motion of thanks to the Governor's address.

Stating that the government would do everything to turn Odisha into a peaceful, prosperous and progressive state, Patnaik said, "We are going to introduce a holistic Odisha Food Security Act very shortly."

It would lay emphasis on agriculture production, marketing and equitable distribution of foodgrains to all with focus on tribals, slum dwellers and vulnerable sections of the society he said, adding, to make the coverage inclusive and holistic, indicators reflecting the socio-economic conditions of a family would be introduced.

To stop pilferage and ensure complete transparency in distribution of entitlements to deserving families, the government would digitise the ration cards, Patnaik said.

The government is also taking a very proactive role to ensure proper implementation of the National Food Security Act in the state, the chief minister said.

To raise productivity by way of creating additional irrigation potential to the tune of 10 lakh hectares within the next five years, a sum of Rs 5,000 crore would be spent each year on major, medium and small irrigation projects, deep bore wells, mega lift irrigation projects and restoration of defunct lift irrigation points, he said.

"Easy access to quality seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and farm mechanisation along with agricultural credit with the lowest percentage of interest will be other key elements of our endeavour," Patnaik said.

Stating that government is extending short term farm credit at the lowest ever interest rate of two per cent to farmers through the State Cooperative Bank and commercial banks, he said there is a proposal to create an interest free, short term corpus fund of Rs 100 crore to ease procurement and supply of chemical fertilisers to farmers.

Another Rs 100 crore of interest free corpus fund is also to be made available to agencies to enable them to procure and pre-position quality seeds at desired locations well ahead of sowing season, he said.

Stating that all key projects on agriculture, health, education, housing, industrial, infrastructure and IT have been put on the fast track, Patnaik said the government has increased manifold the outlay on various welfare schemes.

Noting that Odisha had made impressive achievements in terms of economic growth and poverty reduction, the chief minister said despite the adverse impact of global economic slowdown, Odisha has registered annual growth rate of 6.84 per cent during the first two years of 12th plan as against national average of 4.7 per cent.

Our real per capita income has increased from Rs14,862 in 1999-2000 to Rs 25,415 in 2012-13 and Odisha is the only state to have achieved highest reduction in poverty level of 24.6 per cent between 2004-05 to 2011-12, Patnaik said.

As Odisha is an agrarian sate with more than 60 per cent of population depending on farm sector, Patnaik said the government has introduced a separate budget for agriculture since 2013-14 to make the state agriculturally prosperous with adequate food security coverage for all.

The Government has come up with a unique State Youth Policy in 2013 with the objective of responding effectively to needs and aspirations of the young, he said.

Maintaining that the government is committed towards social and economic empowerment of women, Patnaik said Odisha State Policy for Girls and Women has been brought to provide a holistic solution to the needs of girls and women.

He said to empower women further, government would try to bring down rate of interest further on loans to women SHGs.

Government believes in tough and timely action in incidents like rape and crime against children and women and none would be spared, he said.

Besides providing shelter security to rural poor through its own flagship scheme "Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana", the government has announced a Shelter Security Mission to convert all kutcha houses in rural areas into pucca houses and ensure housing for the homeless urban and rural poor.