BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to develop four more thematic clusters under the RURBAN Mission to provide urban services and create urban support facilities in rural areas.
The clusters will come up at Jaleswar in Balasore district, Kuanrmunda in Sundargarh district, Gunupur in Rayagada district and Koraput.
Sources said Chief Secretary AP Padhi has asked the officials of the Panchayati Raj department to name the clusters and prepare action plan taking into account the speciality of the area.
An integrated and comprehensive plan will be developed for these clusters which will ensure implementation of five minimum services like housing for all, pipe water supply, scheme to make villages free from open defecation, house hold electrification, conversion of kuccha road to pucca road and street light.
Besides, facilities for solid waste treatment, organic farming, agro processing unit, dairy farming, agro services centers, digital literacy, qualitative up-gradation of schools and health institutions will be made available in these clusters.
Under the RURBAN scheme, 70 per cent of the cost is drawn from convergence of various ongoing schemes and programmes of the State and Central governments. Both the Centre and the State Government provide the balance 30 per cent as critical gap sharing on 60:40 ratio.
The State Government has renamed clusters in the State. The cluster at Thakurmunda in Mayurbhanj district has been named as livelihood cluster while the cluster at Utkela in Kalahandi district is known as the textile cluster.
Similarly, clusters at Samasingha in Jharsuguda district, Banpur in Khurdha district and Talabadta in Cuttack district have been named as handloom cluster, tourism cluster and agro-industry cluster respectively. The clusters were included in RURBAN Mission in the first phase while another five handloom and agro clusters at Dahita in Bargarh district, fisheries and agro industry cluster at Keshpur in Ganjam district, horticulture and skill development cluster at Sibatala in Balangir district, corn cluster at Mardama in Nabarangpur district and turmeric cluster at Kotagarh in Kandhamal district were taken up.
A budget estimate of ` 214 crore has been made for implementation of these clusters.
Cluster District
Livelihood: Thakurmunda in Mayurbhanj
Textile: Utkela in Kalahandi
Handloom: Samasingha in Jharsuguda
Tourism: Banpur in Khurdha
Agro-industry: Talabadta in Cuttack
Five handloom & agro: Dahita in Bargarh
Fisheries & agro industry: Keshpur in Ganjam
Horticulture & skill development: Sibatala in Balangir
Corn: Mardama in Nabarangpur
Turmeric: Kotagarh in Kandhamal