BARGARH : There is a need to increase the minimum support price (MSP) of crops and bringing down the farming input cost, said Union Petroleum Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan.
Addressing a function organised by Primary School, Upper Primary School and High School in Gaisama village of Bargarh district on Monday, Pradhan played the Kulta (a tribal farming community) card and said he was ‘son of a farmer’. “For development, long term planning is required and the Union Government is already treading the path,” he said. Pradhan highlighted the efforts of his Ministry in producing ethanol from paddy stalks left behind in the agricultural land after harvesting of crop.
He said the State Government has been asked to provide land for producing ethanol and Bharat Petroleum will invest `1,000 crore in the project. “The ethanol project will supplement farmers’ income,” he said.
While the primary school in the village is celebrating its centenary, the Upper Primary School is observing its golden jubilee and it is silver jubilee celebration for the high school. Pradhan lauded the vision of forefathers of the village who had started the schools.
Earlier, Pradhan attended the golden jubilee celebration of Panchayat High School at Chiplima in Sambalpur district.