Bhubaneswar, May 29 (IANS): The Odisha government on Friday announced a special package to provide employment opportunities for migrant workers and people affected due to Covid-19 pandemic in the rural areas.

The council of ministers' meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, approved the package named Special Livelihood Intervention Plan.

Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy said the livelihood intervention package will be implemented from June 2020 to March 2021 as the public health crisis has led to an economic crisis in the rural areas.

The plan is aimed at generating employment in rural areas through sectors like agriculture, fisheries, animal resources development, MGNREGS, forest and handlooms and handicrafts.

Under the package, the government would provide assistance to the farmers for various crop cultivation including flower, mushroom, and plantation of fruit-bearing trees.

The Chief Secretary said about 2 lakh farmers would be assisted for plantation of fruit-bearing trees including mangoes in the state while women self-help groups will be provided assistance for mushroom cultivation.

The Odisha government also announced two industrial parks of 1,000 acres each at Dhamra in Bhadrak district and another in Dhenkanal district with an investment of about Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 crore each.

A textile park will be set up at Dhamra, which will provide employment opportunities for 20,000 people. A medical park will be set up at Dhenkanal, which will create job opportunities for 16,000 people, said the Chief Secretary.