Rs 5-cr to be spent on Jatropha plantation in KBK

The Pioneer,Dec 6,2007

The State Government will spend about Rs 5-crore for Jatropha plantation and bio-diesel production in KBK region. A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy on Wednesday.
The cultivation would create large number employment opportunities and open the door for proper utilisation of waste lands throughout KBK areas.
In order to create awareness among the farmers to take up the plantation, Government has asked officials of the Orissa Remote Sensing Application Centre (ORSAC) to produce a film on Jatropha. Awareness programmes would be started in block and district level.
Tripathy would soon take meeting of the officials at Bhawanipatna. Chief Administrator of KBK will remain present in the meeting. Bankers will also be asked to provide financial support to the farmers to take up Jatropha farming.
Tripathy also directed the officials to draw up training programme for panchayat raj functionaries as trainer. Later, they would impart training to the farmers to raise their capacity building. It has been decided that Karanja plantation will be taken up in 500 acres of land for the purpose.
Development Commissioner RN Bohidar, Chief Administrator of KBK Rajlaxmi and officials of OREDA attended the meeting.