Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday dedicated as many as 59 mega lift projects in 13 districts of the State under the flagship Parbati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Project.
The projects will ensure irrigation facilities for 80,000 hectors of dry land in these districts. The State Government has Rs 2500 crore for these projects.
The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for 33 mega lift projects. After the completion of all these projects, 50,000 hectares of land in 9 districts can be irrigated.
While launching the projects through video conferencing, the Chief Minister said that the farmers are the backbone of our economy. Their sacrifice and hard work have brought glory to the State.
The Chief Minister said that he is meeting the farmer brothers and sisters at his house every day and discussing various issues with them. The Chief Minister expressed his happiness by saying that the farmers have been covered in various schemes of the government.
Highlighting the various schemes implemented by the State Government for the farmers, the Chief Minister said that the Odisha’s agriculture budget has been tripled in 5 years to reach Rs 25,000 crore.
KALIA Yojana has proved to be very beneficial for the farmers. The State Government has spent Rs 600 crore on crop insurance premiums for farmers. Similarly, interest-free loans up to Rs. 1 lakh are also provided to the farmers, the CM said.
The irrigation development program has been accelerated under the 5T initiative, he added.