By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, May 29, 2020: Odisha government on Friday announced a Rs 17,000 crore special livelihood intervention package to boost rural economy by improving livelihoods as it struggles to contain Covid-19 pandemic.

The package was approved at a meeting of the State Council of Ministers chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The package, which will be implemented between June 2020 and March 2021, will support livelihoods of the rural population, including farmers, wage earners and migrant workers who have been hit hard by the economic crisis triggered by the pandemic, according to Chief Secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy.

The funds are earmarked for key sectors like agriculture, fisheries, animal resources development, forest and environment, cooperative, and handlooms and handicrafts.

The Council of Ministers also decided to form committees at the ward level for effective community surveillance in both rural and urban areas to fight the COVID-19 pandemic in the coming months.

Meanwhile, 63 more COVID-19 positive cases were reported on Friday taking the total to 1,723. Ninety persons were also discharged from hospitals taking the total recoveries to 977. The number of active cases stood at 737. The State has recorded nine deaths so far — seven due to COVID-19 and two due to other ailments, the State Health Department said.

The Council of Ministers also gave its approval to proposals for establishment of two industrial parks — a textile park at Dhamra and a medical park at Dhenkanal. While the Dhamra project will create employment opportunity for 20,000 people, 16,000 people will get jobs at Dhenkanal, Mr. Tripathy said.

The State Cabinet, which also held a separate meeting, also approved 22 proposals, including an amendment to the State tourism policy to facilitate land allocation for hotel projects.