Odisha to spend Rs 10,000 crore in irrigation projects: CM

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Saturday said his government will spend Rs 10,000 crore for extending irrigation facilities in the state in next five years.

Inaugurating 41 units under the Parvati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation projects which would provide irrigation facilities to 50,000 hectare of land in nine districts, Patnaik said his government has set a target to provide to irrigation facility in additional 10 lakh hectares of cultivated land.

The 41 units of the mega lift irrigation project has been developed at an investment of Rs 1,171 crore.

Patnaik inaugurated the units through a video conference from the state secretariat here.

The nine districts which would benefit from the project are - Gajapati, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Bargarh, Sonepur, Bolangir, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur and Boudh.

While Bolangir and Sambalpur districts will have 13 and eight units respectively, five units each will be in Jharsuguda and Kalahandi districts. Nayagarh and Boudh will have three units each.

The project is popular in the highland or mountainous areas of Odisha, he said.

The facility has already been provided to over seven lakh hectares land, the chief minister said.

Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra of the Congress expressed gratitude to the chief minister for this effort of the state government. He also requested Patnaik to provide more irrigation facilities in Bolangir district.

A book on Parvati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Project was released on the occasion by the chief minister.