Berhampur (Odisha), (PTI) Continuing his project launching spree ahead of the state assembly and Lok Sabha polls, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday laid foundation stone for a host of schemes worth Rs 793 crore in Ganjam and Gajapati districts.
The chief minister laid foundation stones for 27 different projects of Rs 211 crore in Sheragada and Sanakhemundi in Ganjam district and several others worth Rs 582.40 crore in Gajapati district.
Elections for Odisha legislative assembly and that of Parliament will coincide this year.
In his whirlwind tour in both the southern districts, Patnaik sought to woo the farmers, saying his government has taken several initiatives for the economic development of the cultivators and assist in higher education of their children.
The chief minister addressed meetings at Sheragada, Sanakhemundi in Ganjam and Garabandh in Gajapati district.
Sheragada is under his own assembly constituency, Hinjili.
Highlighting state governments newly launched KALIA scheme, he said The KALIA scheme is your scheme. This is a historic step for the economic development of farmers. This is a scheme for marginal, share croppers, landless farmers and agricultural labourers.”
The children of the farmers will also be benefitted under the scheme, as the government decided to provide scholarship for their higher education, he said.
Laying foundation stone for the renovation of the Harabhangi irrigation project and its extension work at Sheragada, chief minister said it was long-standing demand of the farmers of the area. The farmers will get additional irrigation facilities in 3763 hectares in Sheragada and Aska blocks in the district.
The project will be implemented under Nabakrushna Choudhury Sech Unnayan Yojana, with an estimated cost of Rs 172.16-crore, said executive engineer, Harabhangi irrigation division SN Subudhi. He said the project is scheduled to complete in next two years.
The existing Harabhangi system was provided irrigation facilities to 9650 hectares in Kharif and 8500 hectares in Rabi season in Sorada, Dharakote and Sheragada blocks in the district, he said.
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