CM demands Central Agri University in KBK region

The Pioneer, April 19, 2012
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday urged Union Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Minister Sharad Pawar to set up a Central Agriculture University in the KBK districts to serve the needs of the States.
Patnaik, who met Pawar in New Delhi impressed him on the need for effective measures to realise the unsaturated agricultural potential of the State and to make the Second Green Revolution a success in the eastern region and urged him to provide timely and adequate support to agriculture and horticulture and create necessary infrastructure in the State.
Stating that Odisha till date has only one Agricultural University — the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, which was established in way back in the year 1962, Patnaik said there is a need for establishment of a Central Agriculture University to serve the needs of the State, particularly the KBK districts.
The OUAT is overburdened at present in performing various tasks including managing 10 colleges, 28 Krishi Vigyan Kendras and eight Regional Research Technology Transfer stations, he pointed out. Patnaik also demanded approval of six districts —Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Bouddh and Jharsuguda — for inclusion under the National Horticulture Mission programme.
He regretted that though Odisha has been adjudged as one of the best performing States at the National Conference on Horticulture held at New Delhi in February last, the six districts, which have over 4.62 lakh hectares of high and medium lands suitable for various horticultural crops, are yet to be covered under the NHM.
Patnaik requested the Union Minister for allocating the indented quantities of Breeder Seeds of paddy, moong, biri and groundnut for kharif, 2012 to Odisha.
He said Odisha had suffered during the recent years on account of inadequate allocation and supply of chemical fertilisers. For kharif 2012, the State's actual requirement of chemical fertilizer is 10.38 lakh mt which should be met in full to sustain the momentum of agricultural development, he said.
Pawar appreciating the State's growth in agriculture and horticulture assured Patnaik that in the Budget for the current year, a provision of Rs 50 crore had been made for the OUAT. In addition to that, his Ministry would provide the required additional financial resources to The university to enable it to focus on KBK districts and other backward non-KBK districts including Kandhamal and Gajapati.
Pawar also agreed to include the remaining six districts - Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrakh, Jajpur, Boudh and Jharsuguda - under NHM programme during the current year, according to official sources.
The sources said the Union Minister had also assured to supply projected requirement of chemical fertiliser to the State during the current year as also Breeder Seeds.
Pawer, however, urged the Chief Minister to work out proposals for setting up of agricultural Centres and agricultural nurseries to be funded under the Rastriya Krishi Vikash Yojana, the projects being monitored by the OUAT.