Chief Minister Majhi launches Rs 120 crore uplift irrigation project in Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj
Jagrut Odisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar ·
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday made a big announcement to give a new impetus to the development of Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts. At a function held in Raikala, Keonjhar district, he laid the foundation stone of three irrigation projects at a cost of about Rs 120 crore and launched and announced various projects in the fields of healthcare, banking, sports and education.
The three irrigation projects, namely Raikala, Sattikudar and Jarakani, are scheduled to be completed by 2028. This will provide irrigation facilities to about 4,280 hectares of farmland in Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts. The project will benefit farmers in various villages of Jhumpura and Keonjhar blocks, as well as the Jarakani area of Mayurbhanj.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that these projects are a reflection of the government's commitment to farmers and rural development. With reliable irrigation facilities, farmers will be able to grow two to three crops instead of one crop per year. This will significantly increase agricultural production and farmers' income.
The Chief Minister said that the government has set a target of providing irrigation facilities to 1.5 million hectares of land in the next five years. He said that Rs 14,500 crore has been allocated for irrigation projects in this year's budget.
Giving information about the irrigation initiatives of the state, Majhi said that six inter-river reservoir projects have been completed. Similarly, RCC lining work has been done on 1,941 km of canals. As a result, irrigation facilities have improved in about 80 thousand hectares of irrigated area. Apart from this, underground pipeline system is being developed under Anandpur Barrage, Lower Suktel and Kusumi Barrage projects. In addition, 656 new check dams have been constructed and 1,022 old check dams have been restored.
The Chief Minister announced that the much-awaited Kanupur Irrigation Project in Keonjhar will be formally inaugurated in December. This will ensure irrigation facilities to thousands of hectares of farmland.
In the healthcare sector, the Chief Minister inaugurated the Jhumpura Community Health Centre, built at a cost of Rs 17.97 crore. He also inaugurated a new branch of the State Bank of India at Raikala to provide easy access to banking services and institutional credit facilities to farmers, traders and rural people.
He announced that a state-of-the-art sports complex would be built in Raikala at a cost of Rs 24 crore and a modern residential school for students from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes at a cost of Rs 30 crore.
The Chief Minister said that 10 projects worth Rs 8.20 crore have been taken up for grassroots development in Raikala. These include a mini stadium at Karanjiapada, additional classrooms in the upper primary school, upgradation of the Dhabaleswar temple complex, Grameen Bazaar, Yuva Jyoti Club and restoration of the temple of Gramyashree Thakurani, etc.
Apart from this, the construction of new Gram Panchayat Office, Mission Shakti GPLF Office and 2.5 km concrete road has been completed. Similarly, the foundation stone for the construction of Kalyan Mandap has been laid.
Referring to the overall development of Keonjhar district, Majhi said that Rs 313 crore is being invested for the development of Maa Tarini Temple. In addition, a textile park is being set up at a cost of Rs 287 crore to create employment opportunities for the local youth. Apart from this, a disaster recovery centre and data centre are also being set up.
He said that under the CM-KISAN scheme, 2,07,362 farmers in the district have been provided assistance worth Rs 41.53 crore. Similarly, crop diversification programme has been started in 35,500 hectares of paddy farmland.
Criticizing the previous government, the Chief Minister said that the promise of providing irrigation facilities to at least 35 percent of the agricultural land in each block was not fulfilled. He asserted that the current government is working towards increasing the scope of irrigation and strengthening the rural economy.
The Chief Minister, emotional about his native land, Raikala, said that this land holds a special significance for him and he will never forget his native land. He called upon everyone to work together for a developed Odisha.
Keonjhar MP Anant Nayak, Patna MLA Akhil Chandra Nayak, Telkoi MLA and District Planning Board Chairman Fakir Mohan Nayak, Keonjhar Special Development Council Chairperson Mamita Nayak and other dignitaries attended the event. District Magistrate Hakik Singh delivered the welcome speech while Additional District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Pradhan proposed the vote of thanks.