Bhubaneswar, March 26: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated a slew of projects at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) here today.
The women's hostel of the university was named after Kamala Pujari, a tribal woman farmer, for her contributions towards preserving indigenous varieties of paddy.
While inaugurating the new hostel of OUAT, Naveen hailed the contribution of the Koraput-based woman farmer. "She is an inspiration for the upcoming generations," Naveen said.
The chief minister felicitated Pujari, who was present on the occasion. The 67-year-old farmer had launched a crusade to preserve indigenous varieties of paddy and adopt organic farming in nearby areas.
She has been awarded by many national and international agencies, including the Equator Initiative Award in 2002 and Krusi Bisarada Samman in New Delhi.
He also advised students to study Pujari's contributions meticulously and develop a strategic roadmap to carry forward her work for the benefit of science and the farming community.
The upcoming infrastructure for which foundation stones were laid included those for holistic development of Regional Research and Technology Transfer Station located at Keonjhar, Ranital, Chiplima and Bhawanipatna, Pulses Research Station, Berhampur, classroom and examination hall at College of Agriculture.
The newly constructed academic block of the College of Forestry was inaugurated during this ceremony. Naveen also undertook a surprise interaction with the students of OUAT by reworking his schedule.
While returning on completion of the inauguration programme, he suddenly expressed his desire to visit the students' field programme.
Vice-chancellor Surendranath Pasupalak took him to the students' research block, where Naveen met final-year agricultural students working in the maize field. He asked them about their work and how it could be useful to the farmers of the state. Ashutos Pradhan, one of the maize-growing students, said that through their work the hybrid maize seeds would be available cheap and farmers would get them on time.
He also stopped at the Centre for Tropical Mushroom Research, where Bibechana Das and T. Shrabani Snigdha explained how mushroom growing would be a round-the-year low-cost profitable business module for women. While interacting with the students, Naveen enquired about their hostel life.
Airport land
The OUAT will provide 47 acres of land for the expansion of Biju Patnaik International Airport runway.
In exchange, the state government will provide equivalent land to the university in Sakhigopal and Deras. The state government has decided to expand the airport runway to get more international airlines to the state. At present, the flights are operated at the airport on a 9,000-ft runway, but to accommodate bigger flights a 10,000-ft long runway is required.
