Berhampur: Even as 80 per cent of the people in Ganjam depend on agriculture for their livelihood, negligence on the part of the state government has delayed the establishment of a proposed agriculture college in the district, a report said.
Farmers’ outfits have alleged that elected representatives are hardly showing any interest in the project.
The proposal for the establishment of an agriculture college was made five years ago but elected representatives are yet to identify land for the purpose.
Then agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy, while presiding over a meeting of a mega Krushak Mela in Berhampur, stressed on the need for establishment of an agriculture college in Berhampur, December 28, 2014.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was the chief guest of the programme which was attended by over 10,000 farmers from 10 districts of south Odisha.
Maharathy, while addressing the gathering, had laid out a condition that an agriculture college will be established in Berhampur if all MLAs of the district and the two MPs identify land for the purpose.
The demand for an agriculture college was raised three decades back. However, none of the successive governments have shown any sincerity for this.
The state government had established the fishery science college affiliated to Odisha University of Agriculture Technology at Mandiapalli near Berhampur University long back.
A regional institute on agriculture technology and training has also come up nearby where farmers are given training on modern farm practices. A paddy seed production centre has also been established at Golanthara while a rice research centre is there at Ankushpur- Ratanpur on Berhampur outskirts.
The demand for establishment of an agriculture college was first raised by the non-gazetted technical staff of the agriculture department 30 years back when Brundaban Sabat was their state president.
Sabat, now retired from service, claimed that Ganjam district has all the necessary facilities for establishment of an agriculture college. He alleged that the project has got delayed due to apathetic attitude of the government.
Srikant Sahu, MLA cum-chairman of district planning board, said steps will be taken for establishment of the agriculture college.
