Odisha CM Approves Livelihood Package For Rural Poor

Bhubaneswar : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today approved a slew of packages for boosting life and livelihood in rural areas affected due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Different departments of State Government like Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, ST & SC Development, Women & Child Development, and Mission Shakti will work for uplifting livelihood of poor and very poor families in the villages, said an official press release issued Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department here today.

Members of the Women Self Help Groups (WSHGs) affected by Covid-19 can revive their family enterprises through this package. This will be helpful for development of enterprises managed by WSHGs and will be also helpful in setting up enterprises in accordance with the skills of the migrant returnees.

The Chief Minister is hopeful that the package will be helpful in improving the economic condition of the poor, very poor and migrant returnees.

The package will benefit rural nano & micro enterprises; skilled and semi-skilled migrant returnees and producer group and enterprise group working in agricultural and non-agricultural sectors and strengthen the State’s financial condition.

Package-1: One-time loan assistance up to Rs 50,000 will be provided for the development of rural nano and micro enterprises. A member of a WSHG or her family member can avail of this loan for the development of nano & micro enterprises in agricultural and non-agricultural sectors.

Package-2: One-time loan amounting to Rs 1.5 lakh will be made available to Producer Groups and Enterprise Groups formed by individuals working in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. Producer Groups over six-month-old and Enterprise Groups over one-year-old will be eligible for availing this loan.

Package-3: Enterprises managed by very poor or destitute families like physically challenged, particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTG), widow, third gender, destitute, families with women as head, etc will be provided with loan up to Rs 20,000 for development of the enterprise and uplifting of livelihood.

Package 4: Loans up to Rs 1,00,000 will be provided to skilled and semi-skilled migrant returnees who have returned during the Covid-19 pandemic for the development of existing enterprises and establishing new enterprises.

Community-based organizations like WSHG, Cluster Level Federation (CLF), and Gram Panchayat Level Federation (GPLF) under the direct supervision of the District Rural Development Agency will provide assistance to Producer Groups and Enterprise Groups for the execution of this package.

This special package shall remain valid for six months from the date of its announcement.

Approximately, Rs 200 crore lying with CLF and GPLF will be utilized for this purpose. In addition to that DMF and OMBADC funds can also be utilized.