The Chief Minister said this while attending the 50th foundation day celebration of OLIC at State Convention Centre in Lok Seva Bhawan this evening.
It may be mentioned here that the OLIC was established on October 1 1973. Over this last fifty years, OLIC has contributed to 30 percent of the total irrigation facility of the state by irrigating over 13.50 lakh hectares of cultivable land.
Speaking on the transformation of the state in food grain production, the Chief Minister said that known for food deficiency and poverty a few decades ago, Odisha has now become a food surplus state and the third largest supplier of food grains to our country’s public distribution system.
Patnaik added that our progressive policies in the farm sector has a transformative impact. Sustainability, crop diversification, improved water provision and use of technology are changing the way of farming. He appreciated the role of OLIC in providing the critical water component.
Highlighting the importance of water, the Chief Minister said that water is life; the soul of earth. It creates and nurtures life. It is critical to our food chain mechanism.
Patnaik further added, in an agrarian state like ours, farmers are the backbones of our food security system. We need assured and uninterrupted water supply for enhancing productivity and improve livelihood of our farmers. We have conceptualized various irrigation projects in the State to achieve our objective in this direction, he stressed.
Extending warms greetings on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that providing irrigation facilities in the minimum possible time and that too with minimal expenditure in all the 30 districts require hard work and commitment.
Patnaik expected the organisation to follow the 5T Principles in bringing out transformation in lift irrigation sector.
The Chief Minister advised the employees to understand the issues of farmers. “Understanding farmers’ problems and quickly addressing their issues can greatly enhance the confidence of farmers in the system.”
Patnaik hoped that all the officers and staff will work with commitment as a team to become the most efficient and dependable organisation for farmers in the state.
The Chief Minister launched E-Lift and ERP automation for the OLIC. He also dedicated a Toll Free No. for customer relationship centres and released a commemorative book on the occasion.
Water Resources Minister Tukuni Sahu, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, 5T secretary VK Pandian and OLIC MD Archana Patnaik were, among others, present on the occasion.
