KEONJHAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced that 15 lakh hectare of land will be irrigated during the next three years in the state.
Launching the paddy procurement process in Keonjhar district for 2025-26 kharif season at Palasapanga LAMPS, Majhi said last year, about 20 lakh farmers received input assistance of Rs 7,000 crore. This year, the number is expected to increase further. The state government is committed to the welfare of farmers, he said.
Addressing farmers on the occasion, the chief minister said the government is providing a bonus of Rs 800 per quintal of paddy, which has given a boost to the morale of cultivators towards farming. The government is considering giving farmers more incentives in non-paddy crops along with paddy. Farmers should not only grow paddy but also pulses, oilseeds and millets.
The chief minister further said by January 10, paddy procurement will start in all the districts. All the officers have been instructed to conduct the entire paddy procurement process transparently. If there any negligence is found, strict action will be taken against the officer concerned, he said.
Highlighting the role of cooperative bodies in harvest of paddy and related fields, Majhi said 1,542 new PACS and LAMPS have been set up in the state. The government is also providing Rs 5 lakh seed money to make these societies operational. At present, there are 4,253 PACS and LAMPS in the state. These are being developed as a one-stop centre, he said.
Stating that Kanupur irrigation project in Keonjhar will be inaugurated in two to three months, Majhi said he will go to the house of the farmer who has received a subsidy of Rs 1 crore under the Krushi Udyog Yojana and felicitate him.
Among others, Keonjhar MP Anant Nayak, MLAs Badri Narayan Patra, Sanatan Mahakud, Akhil Chandra Naik, Fakir Mohan Naik and Abhimanyu Sethi besides district collector Vishal Singh were present.
Later in the day, the chief minister unveiled the statue of freedom fighter and revolutionary Dharanidhar Naik at Nenkadaghar. Speaking on the occasion, he said Dharanidhar is a source of inspiration for people of Odisha.
“Keonjhar is a land of revolutionaries. It is not only a land of mining, but also knows how to fight. Many freedom fighters have been born here. But whenever revolutionaries are discussed, the name of Dharanidhar Naik comes first in our district,” he added.