Rs 100 cr package for Fani-hit Odisha vendors, farmers

Bhubaneswar:  Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday announced Rs 100 crore special package for street vendors, coconut growers and poultry farmers affected by Cyclone ‘Fani’.

The special package will be met from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) and state’s own resources.

About 30,000 street vendors whose livelihood has been severely affected in 11 Urban Local Bodies will be provided with cash assistance of Rs 10,000 each to support them, the Chief Minister said.

Apart from agriculture input subsidy and support for tree plantations and seedlings, cash assistance of Rs 500 per damaged coconut tree will be provided to the affected farmers, subject to a limit of 25 trees per farmer, to support their immediate livelihood.

To revive the broiler poultry units in the cyclone-affected areas, each farmer will be provided 75 per cent subsidy, limited to Rs 1 lakh per unit of 500 birds, said the Chief Minister. As many as 200 small broiler poultry units will be supported through this intervention.

Meanwhile, the state Cabinet on Saturday approved further Rs 1,000 gratuitous relief to the people affected in Puri as power supply has not been fully restored in the district.

Besides, fire services and civil defence personnel engaged in relief and restoration work will receive ration allowance of Rs 200 per day.

Keeping in view of the massive electrical restoration work, the state government has decided to pay the wage to labourers at 150 per cent of rate fixed by the Labour Department.

While unskilled labourer will get Rs 420 per day, it has been fixed Rs Rs 480 for semi-skilled and Rs 555 for skilled labour.

The Cabinet also recommended dissolution of 15th Legislative Assembly to Governor after the conclusion of the election process.

Published on: May 18, 2019 at 22:20 IST

IANS