Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra on Wednesday approved six new projects worth around Rs 1,752 crore of the Mineral Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC).
Mahapatra also directed to include more of the sustainable livelihood promotion and skill development projects in mining affected areas.
Various departments were asked to sponsor more number of projects having direct linkage with income generation and enhancement of livelihood opportunities. The OMBADC was directed to take up skill development projects for youths from mining affected areas in collaboration with skill development department.
The new projects approved included (1) natural farming for year round crop in 36 blocks of Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh districts amounting to Rs 250.72 crore for benefit of 2,49,021 farmers in 216 GPs; (2) piped water supply scheme for 787 villages in 11 blocks of Mayurbhanj amounting to Rs 856.87 crore; (3) establishment of Comprehensive Rehabilitation Centre for the districts of Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar amounting to Rs 106.36 crore; (4) construction of all-weather connectivity roads for 23 blocks of Ghatagaon block amounting to Rs 19.64 crore; (5) infrastructure development in Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Mayurbhanj amounting to Rs 29 crore; and, (6) improving quality of education in 36 Odisha Adarsh Vidyalayas amounting to Rs 489.53 crore.
CEO G Rajesh appraised that a sum of Rs 869.42 crore was received from Ad-hoc CAMPA. Against this, 29, 829 pucca dwellings houses of Rs 402.03 crore; 215 piped drinking water supply projects of Rs 618.59 crore; social and farm forestry projects including afforestion and soil and moisture conservation activities of Rs 56.06 crore and projects for skill development of tribal youths from 691 mining affected areas of 29 blocks in eight districts with allocation of Rs 2.04 crore were sanctioned and implemented through different departments.
A review showed that under compensation money funds, the OMBADC had fund of Rs 19, 823 crore including the interest. Against this, the Board had earlier approved 47 need based projects proposed by 16 departments amounting to Rs 15870.50 crore. All these projects were under smooth implementation with people’s participation. The projects under implementation mostly were from sectors like drinking water, education, health, livelihood, environmental protection, rural connectivity and water conservation.