Bhubaneswar: Odisha Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo Thursday expressed displeasure over the performance of horticulture officers and told them to “perform or perish”, warning that those failing to discharge their responsibilities would face action.
Singh Deo, who also holds the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment portfolio under which horticulture functions, voiced concern over the pace of implementation of government programmes.
“Of the 57 cold storages planned by the state government, only one is completed. Where are the remaining cold storages? What are the officers doing?” he asked, issuing a stern warning to non-performing officials.
He said nearly half of the government’s five-year tenure had elapsed and questioned when the remaining cold storages would be completed.
The minister said the department’s budget had been increased from Rs 7,000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore in two years.
“This is not for entertainment. You are not occupying seats in government for entertainment. Whenever I go to districts, not a single officer approached me to see what is happening in the field,” he said.
“Let me speak with clarity that if you (officers) keep the government in the dark and if details of your tours’ expenditure do not reach the government, then do not expect any support from me. The state government is not a rubber stamp for you, nor am I a rubber stamp,” Singh Deo told the gathering.
He warned that officers found failing to follow government directions could face action and reminded them that promotions were subject to the government’s decision.
Singh Deo was addressing a state-level conference of horticulture officers organised by the Directorate of Horticulture under the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment.
He directed officers to closely monitor the implementation of government schemes and blamed administrative apathy, lack of accountability and failure to keep the government informed about departmental activities and expenditure for the shortcomings.
The deputy chief minister said officials could not keep the government in the dark or function without accountability.
Referring to official visits by some officers to other states and countries, he said they had failed to submit reports on the outcomes of such tours.
He directed the officers to submit feedback on their tours within seven days.
Singh Deo said horticulture programmes had a major role in increasing farmers’ incomes and strengthening nutritional security in the state.
He instructed officers to regularly visit the field, interact directly with farmers, understand their problems and provide tangible solutions.
He also stressed the need to monitor whether government schemes were reaching beneficiaries as intended and asked officials to apply knowledge acquired through government training programmes in field operations.
The deputy chief minister further directed all officials, including the director, to submit monthly field visit reports to the department.
The conference discussed priorities including expanding oil palm cultivation to reduce the shortage of edible oil, improving crop quality for international export markets and promoting high-value crops and commercial floriculture to maximise returns from land.
Technical sessions covered modern farming practices, adoption of advanced technology, effective implementation of schemes, post-harvest management and facilitating direct sales from farmers to consumers.
A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between Khety Agro Pvt Ltd and the Directorate of Horticulture to promote climate-resilient agriculture, marking a step towards modernising horticulture and improving farmers’ livelihoods in Odisha.