Odisha Govt To Boost Tribal Livelihood Through Rs 500 Crore Scheme

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to economically empower the tribal communities and boost their livelihood scope, the Odisha government is all set to pump in Rs 500 crore to launch a new scheme – Livelihoods Cluster Development initiative under ‘Mukhya Mantri Janajati Jeebika Mission.’

The scheme will be implemented by the ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department through the state-funded ‘ST Livelihood and Income Generating Programme’ in the state.

This was stated by ST & SC Development Minister Jagannath Saraka at a press meet in Bhubaneswar on Friday. ST & SC Development Secretary Roopa Roshan Sahoo also addressed the media.

An outlay of Rs 500 crore has been made and the funds will be utilised within a period of three years from 2022-23 to 2025- 26. Over 1.5 lakh tribal households will get benefits of the scheme in 22 tribal-dominated blocks, Saraka said.

The department will execute the Livelihoods Cluster Development initiative in these tribal-dominated blocks of the state with help of 22 Integrated Tribal Development Agencies (ITDAs).

The new initiative will ensure timely access to quality inputs, infrastructure support to boost livelihood scope, to encourage better production practices, to impart training and their capacity building and marketing assistance on a convergence mode, Sahoo said.

The department expects that as part of the state government’s development vision, the new scheme will help the tribal households to take up well-planned farm-based activities and non-farm livelihood activities to augment their income and raise their standard of living on sustainable basis.