BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Tuesday announced new agriculture policy ‘SAMRIDHI’ to ensure continuous increase in income of farmers and make the process inclusive of small and marginal cultivators to achieve sustainable, stable and scalable agriculture growth.
The agriculture policy was approved at the State Cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here.
Stating that the new policy is focused on farmers’ wellbeing and has been formulated to build on the inherent strengths of its agriculture and allied sectors, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy told mediapersons after the meeting that it aims to address the constraints the sector faces and make optimal use of resources and emergence of accelerated economic growth in the State.
Tripathy said the policy focuses on creating an eco-system interlinking inputs production markets, sustainable increase in yields of paddy and diversification to high value agriculture (HVA) and encouraging efficient and ecologically sensitive use of inputs.
The policy has dealt with several sections, including crop diversfication, markets, infrastructure, value chains and processing, production and productivity, livestock and fisheries, research, development, extension, disaster management and insurance, he said.
The policy also encompasses activities in different sectors of fisheries, livestock, procurement, credit, insurance and irrigation for boosting farmers’ income.
Odia University approved
Proposal for establishment of Odia University at Satyabadi was approved at the meeting.
The Government will refurbish the historic Bakula Bana Vidyalaya to a centre of learning. Its pleasant rural environment will be protected and developed as a heritage site. As per the existing provision in Section 3(3) of Odia University Act, 2017, the headquarters of the University was fixed at Bhubaneswar.
Since the Heritage Cabinet decided to establish the university at Satyabadi on July 27, 2018, the proposal for amendment of the provision was amended.
Amendment to OSJS and OJS
Rules Amendment to OSJS and OJS Rules, 2007 was approved to relax age limit by five years to give opportunity to ex-servicemen/commissioned and SSC officers of defence service for recruitment to the post of civil judge. In case of persons with disabilities, the age limit will be relaxed by 10 years.
Lecturers age limit relaxed
A proposal to give one-time relaxation for enhancement of the upper age limit for recruitment of lecturers from 33 years to 48 years was also approved.
The decision was taken as the earlier requisite qualification for recruitment of lecturer was a master’s degree in the subject concerned whereas by the time the advertisement for filling up 606 vacancies came out on October 1, 2019, PhD/NET qualification was mandatory.
As the qualification was enhanced, the upper age limit was also increased as acquiring higher qualification needed more time.