Affirming his government’s commitment to empowering farmers across Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday said concrete steps are being taken to give justice to the farming community ever since BJP came to power in the state one year ago.
Addressing a state-level ‘Krushak Shakti Samabesh’ in Balangir, the Chief Minister said one of the major promises during the elections was to ensure rightful returns for the hard work of lakhs of farmers across the state.
On Balangir’s growing political significance, the CM said two Ministers are now representing the district in the state cabinet. “Therefore, this is not just a double-engine but a triple-engine government. The district is now witnessing development at three times the earlier pace,” he said.
Describing farmers as the backbone of Odisha’s rural economy, Majhi said that by May this year, the state had distributed over 78,681 agricultural machines, and disbursed subsidies amounting to Rs 459.68 crore directly to farmers.
He emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji holds a deep respect for farmers, whom he refers to as the breadwinners.
The state government is committed to providing irrigation facilities for as many farmers’ lands as possible for the growth of the farm sector, the CM said, adding that the government has set an ambitious target of providing irrigation for 1.5 million hectares of unirrigated land over the next five years.
The Chief Minister said various farmer welfare me