In a major boost to the modernization of the state’s farm sector, the Union Government has cleared an incentive of ₹155.48 crore for Odisha. The funding, provided under Special Central Assistance (SCA), recognizes the state’s successful implementation of digital infrastructure projects aimed at transforming the lives of farmers.
Breakdown of the Funding
The financial incentive is divided into two key components of the ‘AgriStack’ initiative—a national digital public infrastructure project for agriculture:
Digital Crop Survey: ₹100 crore for the successful completion of geo-referenced, plot-wise crop data collection.
Farmers’ Registry: ₹55.48 crore for creating a verified, authenticated database of the state’s farmers.
Empowering Farmers through Data
The digital reforms are designed to bring transparency and efficiency to Odisha’s agrarian economy.
Targeted Benefits: The Farmers’ Registry will ensure that benefits from schemes like PM-KISAN, CM-KISAN, and crop insurance reach the intended recipients without leakage.
Precision Planning: The Digital Crop Survey provides real-time data on crops sown across the state. This information will help the government create realistic production estimates, streamline procurement plans, and improve disaster response for farmers.
Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, hailed the Centre’s decision as a testament to the state’s leadership in digital reforms.
“This recognition reflects Odisha’s strong compliance with national standards and our commitment to timely milestones,” Singh Deo said. He urged the agriculture department to utilize these digital tools to “script a new chapter of growth and sustainability,” ensuring that the state’s farming sector remains data-driven and farmer-centric.
The move marks a significant step toward making agriculture in Odisha more transparent and prosperous, leveraging technology to bridge the gap between policy and implementation at the grassroots level.
