Balangir, June 17: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Tuesday said that one of our main promises during the elections was to give the real value of their hard work to lakhs of farmers in the state and today we have fulfilled that goal.
Addressing a large gathering of farmers at the state-level "Krushak Shakti Samabesh" event held in Balangir on the occasion of BJP government's first anniversary, CM Majhi emphasized the government's commitment to empowering farmers through modern technology and mechanization.
Two ministers from Balangir district are representing the Odisha government. Now, it's not just a double engine government here, but a triple engine government is in action. As a result, the development of the district is progressing at three times the speed, and this process will continue in the coming days, he said.
The Chief Minister said that today, India's unique agricultural system is praised all over the world. In Odisha, more than 60% of the population depends on agriculture and allied activities for their livelihood. As of May, 78,681 agricultural machines have been provided to farmers, and a subsidy of Rs 459.68 crore has been given through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows great respect to the farming community of the country and calls them ‘Annadata’ (food providers). He has urged everyone to contribute to agriculture and make it the backbone of the nation. To develop agriculture in the state, our government is working with full commitment to provide irrigation facilities to more and more farmers. The target is to bring irrigation to 15 lakh hectares of non-irrigated land within five years, said CM Majhi.
He said that the various farmer welfare initiatives undertaken by our government not only increase the income of farmers but have also created a new chapter in the development of agriculture in the state. The government is continuously working towards achieving sustainable growth in this sector.
While providing details of the agricultural initiatives being implemented in the state, CM Majhi mentioned that through the ‘Shree Anna Abhiyan’, the revival of forgotten foods and the adoption of nutrition-based agricultural practices have enhanced the income of small and marginal farmers.
Currently, in all government schools of the state, students from kindergarten to class 10 are being provided with ‘Millet Laddu’ as part of a nutrition initiative. Under the CM Krushak Yojana, farmers are being given a financial assistance of Rs 4,000. Even farmers in urban areas have been included in this scheme, he said.
During the recent Akshaya Tritiya festival, a total of 50,02,000 small and marginal farmers, including 2,381 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) farmers and 25,352 urban farmers, received financial assistance of Rs 1,025 crore. The financial support is being provided to farmers after merging the 'PM-Samman Nidhi' with ‘CM-Kisan’ scheme, he added.
To further strengthen the farmers, transformative steps have been taken through the Krishi Vidya Nidhi Yojana, which provides scholarships for higher education to the children of farmers. Additionally, the Balabhadra Organic Mission is promoting chemical-free, organic farming practices, said CM Majhi.
Under the 'Amrut Anna' project, organic, chemical-free, and aromatic rice produced in Odisha is being used in the offerings at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri and will soon be used in the preparation of the Mahaprasad in the future, CM Majhi added.
Addressing the event, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo stated that to promote the development of agriculture sector, our government has made a higher budgetary allocation in the state budget for the current financial year and will also make provisions for a higher financial allocation in the next budget.
Today, Odisha is not only exporting fruits within India but also to foreign countries. This is a reflection of our strong commitment. In the coming years, an Agricultural College will be established in Balangir, and a Fisheries College will be set up in Sonpur to provide advanced knowledge and skills training to fish farmers, announced Deo.
Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling stated that our government is working for the farmers and continue to work for their upliftment in future. He assured that the government is committed to fulfilling all the needs of the farmers.
Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik mentioned that each village should become an agriculturally empowered village, as strengthening our farmers is the first step towards developing our state.
During the event, the Chief Minister rewarded all the successful farmers and encouraged them to apply modern agricultural techniques and knowledge to accelerate their farming activities.
