For the year 2013-14, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has agreed upon a normative allocation of Rs1,000 crore to the State, against which projects involving Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) loan amounting to Rs361.12 crore have been sanctioned so far.
The loan would be utilised for funding 22 road and one bridge project involving assistance of Rs163.33 crore, 13 flood protection, three drainage system improvement, five distributary system improvement, 160 lift irrigation projects (river lift and tube well projects) under the Biju Krishak Vikas Yojana (BKVY).
Recently, the NABARD at a meeting at its headquarters in Mumbai had sanctioned Rs13.75 crore to the State under the RIDF Tranche XIX (2013-14) for construction of 10 passenger jetties, waiting halls and related infrastructure to promote inland waterway transport. The construction would benefit 58 villages connecting 13 tourist spots. These projects are expected to generate employment of around 6.35 lakh man-days.
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 8,500 crore to the State since inception of the RIDF for implementing 1,73,922 projects under various sectors.
A National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) release also said the bank has formulated a NABARD Warehousing Scheme 2013-14 for financing construction of warehouses, godowns, silos, cold storage units and other cold chain activities, both in public and the private sectors.
In Odisha, as per the present ground level position, a storage gap of 20 lakh MT for warehouses has been estimated.
The gap is significantly high in five districts, Bargarh, Balangir, Kalahandi, Sambalpur and Subarnapur, and the scheme can be effectively utilised for reducing this storage gap and ensuring proper scientific storage of agriculture commodities, the release added.