BHUBANESWAR: The state cabinet on Friday approved a new scheme ‘Development of Biotechnology’ to promote creation of advanced infrastructure for product and service development with an allocation of Rs 1,113.5 crore for a period of five years from 2025-26. The scheme aims to position Odisha as a knowledge-driven bio-economy.
The scheme, approved at the meeting presided over by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, will strive to foster collaboration between industry and academia to open up opportunities for biotech applications across various sectors including agriculture, medicine and environment.
Chief secretary Manoj Ahuja said with Odisha Biotechnology Policy-2024 in place, the new scheme comprises 17 sub-schemes to promote higher education, research and infrastructure development in the most promising areas of biotechnology. It will also develop and strengthen supportive and vibrant ecosystem for 5Is - Innovation, Incubation, Investment, Income and Impact - to build enterprises and industries, he said.
Stating that the scheme will realign academic excellence, skilling and capacity building to meet industry requirements, the chief secretary said it will also promote product and process development, commercialisation and intellectual property monetisation.
The cabinet also approved the proposal to spend Rs 6,000 crore for five years from 2025-26 for implementation of Mukhyamantri Sahari Bikash Yojana (MSBY) scheme for execution of 50,000 infrastructure projects providing employment to over five lakh skilled and unskilled workers. During 2025-26, Rs 1,100 crore has been allocated for implementation of the scheme.
The infrastructure include kalyan mandaps, town halls, crematoriums, community centres, market complexes, roads and drains, vending zones, fish markets, parking places, mini cold storages, EV charging stations and micro-tourism facilities. Development of river waterfronts and waterbodies, walking tracks, playgrounds, goshalas and pet care centres will also be taken up under the scheme.
Besides, the cabinet approved the tender of Rs 151 crore for construction of concrete dam and spillway component structure of Chheligad irrigation project in R Udaygiri block of Gajapati district. The proposal to waive additional land premium of Rs 2.6 crore for 0.644 acre land in Chandrasekharpur for construction of building of Narcotics Control Bureau was also approved.