SAMBALPUR: Union Education Minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the state-of-the-art Krushi Bhawan here on Sunday.
Constructed at a cost of Rs 5.36 crore, the Krushi Bhawan will serve as a single-window platform for all agriculture-related services in Sambalpur district. It houses offices of the chief district agriculture officer and agriculture technology management agency besides a conference hall, guesthouse and soil testing laboratory. These facilities are aimed at providing seamless services and essential infrastructure to farmers and rural communities. The complex will also serve as a hub for showcasing agricultural modules and imparting training to local farmers and fostering skill development and awareness.
Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said establishment of Odisha’s second Krushi Bhawan would ‘give a new identity to the agricultural sector’ in the region. He informed that during the current kharif and rabi seasons, the state government has procured around 90 lakh tonne of paddy and disbursed over Rs 8,000 crore directly to farmers.
He said inclusion of Class IX and X students under the PM-POSHAN mid-day meal scheme is a major step towards combating malnutrition among adolescents. “The government remains committed to ensuring that no citizen of Odisha is deprived of basic facilities,” he added.
To mark the occasion, Pradhan participated in a plantation drive under the ‘Maa Pain Gachhatie’ campaign on the Krushi Bhawan premises. During the inauguration ceremony, four self-help groups (SHGs) were provided financial support of Rs 50,000 each for setting up millet-based tiffin centres. With the assistance, the SHGs will be able to establish businesses while promoting nutritious millet-based diets in rural areas.
Among others, Deputy Chief Minister KV Singhdeo, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, Panchayati Raj Minister Rabinarayan Naik, Sambalpur MLA, Jayanarayan Mishra, IG (Northern Range) Himanshu Lal, collector Siddheshwar Baliram Bondar and SP Mukesh Bhamoo were present.