Bhubaneswar: The Odisha cabinet on Wednesday resolved to move the Centre reiterating its earlier stand requesting to implement the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan committee regarding MSP of all crops for doubling the farmers’ income.
The decision of the state cabinet came at a time the farmers are agitating demanding the repeal of the new farm laws enacted by the Centre.
Notably, the M.S. Swaminathan chaired National Commission on Farmers had recommended that Minimum Support Price (MSP) should be at least 50 per cent more than the weighted average cost of production.
The state government considers MSP as an important tool for income generation of farmers.
The income of farmers needs to keep pace with growth of income in other sectors and the rise in the costs of cultivation, said a cabinet statement.
The MSP on any agriculture produce has to be fixed in a holistic manner so as to make farming operations profitable and to safeguard the farmers against all types of risks, it said.
The cabinet also approved construction of two new medical college and hospitals in Kandhamal and Koraput districts at a cost of Rs 680 crore.
The hospitals will give a boost medical education and cater to the healthcare needs of the people in the region.
It also approved two rural piped water supply projects worth Rs 724 crore for Bargarh under BASUDHA scheme. The projects will be completed in two years and benefit 515 villages of Barpali, Bheden, Attabira, Bijepur, Gaiselet and Bargarh blocks.
(IANS)
Ms Kalinga