Bhubaneswar/Bhawanipatna: Amid widespread protests over alleged mismanagement and delays in paddy procurement across Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi assured farmers that his government is actively arranging to purchase their crop, as the Centre has agreed to lift 8 lakh tonnes of rice.
Speaking at an event in Bhawanipatna on Sunday evening, Majhi emphasized that the Centre’s commitment to lift the substantial quantity of rice would enable smooth procurement from farmers at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). “The Centre has agreed to lift eight lakh metric tonnes of rice from Odisha. Therefore, the state government is making arrangements to collect paddy from farmers,” he stated, addressing concerns that have led to farmer demonstrations, including marches to district offices and criticisms from opposition parties like the BJD over delayed mandi openings and technical glitches in some districts.
During the same programme, which coincided with the valedictory ceremony of the 28th edition of the Kalahandi Utsav-Ghumura festival, Majhi inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 3,612 development projects totalling Rs 891.39 crore. These initiatives, which included inauguration of 971 projects worth Rs 193.36 crore and groundwork for 2,641 others valued at Rs 698.3 crore, focus heavily on boosting irrigation in the region’s drought-affected zones.
Emphasising sustained support for agriculture, the Chief Minister announced that the Rs 3,325-crore Utei Raul irrigation project has secured central government clearance and is set to begin shortly. He further detailed initiatives to establish Kalahandi-Nabarangpur as a dedicated cotton production hub, while accelerating key projects such as Belagam Anthanadi reservoir and Sandul Barrage. Concrete lining of the Indravati left canal is planned to improve water efficiency, he added.
Majhi pointed to the increase in farmer registrations in Kalahandi from 1.12 lakh last year to 1.21 lakh this year, as a clear sign of rising trust in government programme, including input subsidies and direct benefit transfer schemes. “A farmer family is now earning about Rs 71,000 more per year due to the welfare schemes of the State and the Central Government,” he said.
