State to set up 530 micro-watershed projects

Bhubaneswar: The state government will extend the `highly successful` Odisha Tribal Empowerment & Livelihood Programme (OTELP) to 30 more blocks in the 7 districts where it is on and invest Rs 556 crore for setting up 530 micro watershed projects for the benefits of tribals.

The decision was taken at a high level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the extended scheme will be titled as OTELP Plus, official sources said.

OTELP was initially implemented in 30 tribal dominated blocks of Koraput, Gajapati, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nawrangpur, Malkangiri and Rayagada districts and had helped in irrigating 12,175 hectares in the seven districts.

About 19 per cent of barren land could be converted into agriculural fields through the programme," he said.

Agriculture, vegitable cultivation, horticulture, fruits cultivation and spices cultivation activities were encouraged through OTELP.

Besides checking migration from the 30 blocks, OTELP had also been helpful in increasing income of the people, a release issued by chief minister`s office said.