Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday inaugurated 54 projects worth Rs 1064 crore and laid foundation stone for 52 projects at a cost of Rs 1020 crore during a visit to Kalahandi district.
Among the projects inaugurated, the Upper Indravati Lift Canal system has been constructed at a cost of Rs 986.71 crore. Having the capacity to irrigate 25,275 ha, the system comprises 43.26 km of concrete canal and 1142 km of underground pipeline.
Naveen also inaugurated 10 drinking water projects worth Rs 20.02 crore and 13 check dams built at a cost of Rs 4.83 crore. The projects for which he laid stones included mega lift irrigation at Salebhata, Champadeipur, Gopinathpur, and Teran Gasil; Sandul irrigation, pipe water supply to Golamunda block and 40 single village pipe water supply.
Speaking at a meeting at Mangalpur in Jaypatna block, the chief minister said Kalahandi has transformed from a laboratory of hunger into a rice bowl. The district now hold second position in production of rice in the state. It has been possible due to hard labour and commitment of the farmers of the district, he added.
While irrigation facilities has increased three fold in the district, the fish production has also gone up significantly, Naveen said.
On the health care front, he said the infant and maternal mortality, which was 76 and 432 per 1000 in 2000, has drastically come down due to strategic intervention of the state government. As a result, Kalahandi has emerged as best performing district in health care in the country.
Assigning the development of the district to river Indravati, the chief minister announced that a museum and a park will be set up its banks. A temple of Goddess Indravati will be built on the premises of the park, he added.
