Bhubaneswar, Jan 14 (UNI) Kalahandi is no longer a laboratory for poverty but has been transformed into a model of development, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said today.
Speaking at a meeting at Mangalpur in Jaipatna block in kalahandi district, Mr Patnaik attributed all credit for the transformation and development of kalahandi to the Indravati river.
He said a museum on Indravati would be set up to depict and tell the story of development of Kalahandi.
During his visit to kalahandi, the Chief Minister inaugurated 54 projects worth over rs.1064 crore and laid foundation stone of 52 projects worth Rs 1020 crore.
The projects inaugurated included the Upper Indravati Lift Canal system constructed at Rs 986.71 crore with a capacity to irrigate 25,275 hectares of land and is expected to benefit more than three lakh people.
The irrigation system comprises 43.26 km of the concrete canal and 1142 km of underground pipeline and is said to be the fastest completed irrigation project in the state.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated mega irrigation projects and pipe water supply water projects worth Rs 177.84 crore, forty single village pipe water supply projects worth Rs116.73 crore, ten drinking Water projects worth Rs 20.02 crore.
Mr Patnaik appealed to the people of the district not to wastewater instead use every drop of Indravati river water for development of Kalahandi and conserve it for the future generation.
Highly appreciating the progress of Kalahandi in the Agriculture sector, the Chief Minister said the district has now been a rice bowl of the state and emerged as the second-highest contributor of rice to Odisha's food security.
The district, he said, has also been supplying rice to the Public Distribution System of the country. Kalahandi alone is supplying rice to the central pool equal to the contribution of ten states, Mr Patnaik stated.
All these he said was possible due to the strong will, self-confidence and hard labour of the farmers and the people of the district.
Mr Patnaik said in the procurement season Rs 1200 crore has been directly transferred to the accounts of the farmers of the district. The irrigation facilities have been increased thrice and the district has emerged as the best performing district in the health and nutrition sector in the country.
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