Paradeep, Mar 7: Union Home Minister Amit Shah was presented with a portrait of Lord Jagannath by devotee Annata Biswal during the inauguration of Sulphuric Acid Plant-3 (SAP-III) at the IFFCO Paradeep unit on Friday. Shah invited Biswal on stage to personally acknowledge the artwork and shared a brief interaction with him.
During the event, Shah outlined plans to strengthen rural livelihoods in Odisha through the establishment of a dairy cooperative network, inspired by Gujarat’s successful model of Amul. The initiative aims to economically empower women, particularly from tribal communities and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
Highlighting the IFFCO plant expansion, he said, “The inauguration of SAP-III will support India’s push toward self-reliance in fertiliser production.” He further noted, “Today in Gujarat, through 3.6 million rural women, Amul became a movement worth Rs 1.3 lakh crore. Its profits go directly to the women cattle herders of Gujarat. Similarly, we will explore the full potential of Odisha to enrich the tribal and OBC mothers and sisters here.”
Shah emphasised that central and state governments will collaborate to introduce dairy cooperatives in villages across Odisha, aiming to replicate the Gujarat model. He also thanked the people of Odisha for their support in the 2024 elections, stating, “I want to express my deep gratitude to my Odia brothers and sisters for liberating Odisha from the rule of another state after such a long time.”
The inauguration ceremony marked Shah’s first public event in Odisha post-2024 elections, combining the expansion of critical fertiliser infrastructure with a vision for socio-economic empowerment in the state.
