Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday inaugurated a Regional Krushi Mahotsav-2014 at the Uma Charan Patnaik Engineering School here.
The festival would continue till December 30. While Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy presided over the function, Forests and Environment Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh, Woman and Child Development Minister Usha Devi, Higher Education Minister Pradeep Panigrahi, Housing and Urban Development Minister Puspendra Singhdeo, Aska MP ladu Kishore Swain, MlA Dr RC Chyaupatnaik, Ganjam Zilla Parishad president Surath Chandra Pradhan and BMC Mayor K Madhavi graced the occasion as guests.
In his speech, the Chief Minister said the State has been performing well in the agriculture sector despite natural disasters. He said State Government’s efforts and farmers labour has fetched national awards two times to the State. He informed that the State Government has decided to provide all facilities to farmers to undertake cultivation activities in more 10 lakh hectares of land in coming five years. The Chief Minister felicitated four farmers each from Ganjam, Boudh and Nabarangpur districts for their achievements in agriculture sector.
Agriculture Secretary Rajesh Verma delivered welcome address and Fisheries and Animal Resource Development Secretary Bishnupada Sethy gave a vote of thanks. The second day of the programme would be graced by SC, ST Development and Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Minister lal Behari Himirika and Finance Minister Pradip Amat among others.