​​​​​​​Bhubaneswar, August 13: Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo on Thursday expressed strong dissatisfaction over the performance of horticulture officers, warning them to “perform or perish” and face action if they failed to fulfil their responsibilities.

Singh Deo, who also holds the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment portfolio, raised concerns over the slow implementation of government programmes in the horticulture sector.

Questioning the progress of the state’s cold storage projects, he pointed out that only one of the 57 planned facilities had been completed so far.

“Out of the 57 cold storages planned by the state government, only one has been completed. Where are the remaining cold storages? What are the officers doing?” he asked, issuing a stern warning to officials whose performance remained unsatisfactory.

The Deputy Chief Minister stressed the need for greater accountability and faster execution of government projects, making it clear that non-performing officers would face action.