BHUBANESWAR: Deputy chief minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo on Thursday issued a stern warning to horticulture officials over alleged administrative apathy, lack of accountability and failure to keep the government informed about departmental activities and expenditure, directing them to make regular field visits and submit monthly reports.
Addressing a state-level conference of horticulture officials at Krushi Bhavan, Singh Deo said, “The state government is not a rubber stamp, nor am I. You are not running the government. We are. Whoever does not accept this will face action. I don’t want bouquets, I want reports.” he said.
Singh Deo gave officials seven days to submit reports on departmental activities and warned that failure to do so would attract action. Officers must move beyond office-based administration and directly engage with farmers to understand their problems and provide practical solutions, he said.
“We are sending farmers to other states for training for the development of the farming community. The list of farmers comes to the government but not the report of what they learned during exposure visits,” he said.
Speaking to mediapersons later, Singh Deo said two years of the government had passed but several targets remained unmet. “I have made it very clear that such a lackadaisical attitude will no more be tolerated. Ministers are accountable to the government and the people. We face embarrassing situations inside and outside the Assembly, not the officers,” he said.
He instructed the director of horticulture and other officials to submit monthly field-visit reports and ensure close monitoring of schemes at the grassroots.
Officials were also asked to apply the knowledge and techniques gained through government-sponsored training programmes in actual field conditions.
Singh Deo said the government has prioritised the expansion and modernisation of horticulture to raise farm incomes, strengthen nutritional security and promote high-value agriculture. He stressed diversification into oil-palm, high-value crops and commercial floriculture, besides improving crop quality, post-harvest management and market linkages.
An MoU was also signed between Kheyti Agro Private Limited and the directorate of Horticulture to promote climate-resilient agriculture.Agriculture secretary Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, director of Horticulture Kalunge Gorakh Vaman and senior departmental officials attended the conference.
