Odishatv Bureau

Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday directed the Forest and Environment minister and officials to provide a bonus of Rs 62 crore to kendu leaf pluckers for the 2015 harvest year by June.

A decision in this regard came during the review of the affairs of the Forest and Environment department yesterday.

Talking to newsmen, Forest and environment minister Birkram Keshari Arukh said, “The chief minister has directed the department to provide an additional Rs 62 crore bonus to kendu leaf pluckers for 2015 harvest year by June.”

“Besides, the chief minister has also asked us to implement Ama Jangal Yojana in the state with an investment of Rs 1,170 crore by including around 7,000 Vana Sanrakshan Samiti (VSSs) under the Yojana,” Arukh added.

Later reviewing the working of the Food Supplies and Consumer Affairs department, the chief minister directed officials to implement the P-Pass system at 294 rice-procuring blocks across the state.

As many as 84.83 lakh families in the state have been included under the centrally sponsored National Food Security Act (NFSA), informed Food and Supplies minister Sanjay Dasburma after the review meeting.

“We have successfully implemented the NFSA scheme in the state. So far, we have been able to add 3.18 crore people of the state under the scheme. We can now transfer money directly to the account of farmers from whom we procure rice through the P-Pass system,” Dasburma said.

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