Bhubaneswar: Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo chaired a high-level review meeting Thursday at the Lok Seva Bhavan Conference Hall to assess the progress of the Upper Lanth and Lower Indra Irrigation Projects. The meeting was attended by Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Anu Garg and other senior officials. Singh Deo instructed officials from the Water Resources department to accelerate project execution.
Emphasising the projects’ potential impact, he noted that upon completion, they will bring irrigation facilities to 29,900 hectares of agricultural land across Bolangir and Nuapada districts. The Deputy CM underlined that, in addition to improving crop yields, the projects would support allied agricultural activities, increase rural incomes, and play a critical role in reducing distress migration from the region. He urged officials to swiftly resolve any procedural bottlenecks, including those related to land acquisition, compensation, environmental clearances, and resettlement. “Bring such issues to my notice directly for prompt intervention,” Singh Deo said. Anu Garg led a detailed discussion on both the technical and administrative aspects of the projects.
Engineer-in-Chief of the Water Resources department, Chandrashekhar Padhy, along with senior engineers and officials, also took part in the deliberations. District Collectors of Bolangir and Nuapada, along with officials from the Forest Department, joined the meeting virtually, providing updates from the field.
