Bhubaneswar: In a bid to increase potato production and make Odisha self-sufficient in the production of the tuber, the state government had launched Potato Mission in 2014-15. The scheme was implemented in 2015-16 with an initial outlay of Rs 50 crore.
The allocation has since been increased to Rs 366.90 crore in 2026-27 state Budget. However, not a single rupee has been spent under the mission so far, according to a recent review meeting by the Directorate of Horticulture.
The Horticulture department has a large workforce to implement government schemes. Hundreds of crores of rupees are spent on vehicles, travel and foreign tours for officials. However, questions have been raised over the implementation of schemes such as Potato Mission.
Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister KV Singh Deo recently expressed displeasure over the slow implementation of government programmes. He questioned officials over the failure to create adequate cold-storage facilities in the state.
Documents reviewed by ‘Dharitri’ show that besides the Potato Mission, funds allocated for several other schemes had also remained unspent through July. The findings have raised concerns over the functioning of the Horticulture department and implementation of schemes intended to benefit farmers.
No money had been spent by July-end on Potato Mission and seven other schemes under the agriculture budget for the current fiscal, according to information provided by a senior department official on condition of anonymity.
The state government had allocated Rs 366.90 crore in the budget for the Potato Mission, Vegetable Mission and Spice Mission. Similarly, Rs 57 crore was earmarked to promote mushroom and flower cultivation among self-help groups, but none of the funds had been spent, according to a report.
Moreover, not a single rupee was spent from allocations of Rs 10 crore for infrastructure, Rs 5 crore for farmer producer organisations, Rs 63 crore for cold storage facilities, Rs 15.30 crore for subsidies to farmers on fertilisers and other pesticides, and Rs 12.51 crore under the Horticulture Mission.
Of the Rs 14.50 crore allocated for nurseries and sales centres at the block level, only 33.66 lakh had been spent.