Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday inaugurated Krushi Bhavan, which will house agriculture and related departments.

The building, which is located near the Stare Guest House and behind the state secretariat, displayed the traditional art and architecture of Odisha.

“This is a lively architectural marvel created by hundreds of master craftsmen with traditional narratives related to farming and folklore of the state,” said a senior official of the agriculture department.

“The bricks used are made from different colours of clay that symbolise the diversity of soils in various regions of the state,” he said.

Inaugurating the building, the chief minister said Odisha had first received the Krishi Karman Purashkar in 2011 for its performance in agricultural productivity. “When the departmental minister and secretary had met me at the state secretariat and presented the award amount of Rs 2 crore to me, I decided on the same day that the entire prize money would be spent for the farmers,” he said.

Stating that the farmers of the state had brought the award four times in a row, Naveen said: “The entire prize money of Rs 17 crore has been spent in the construction of Krushi Bhavan. Each and every brick of the building speaks about the success of our farmers.”

“Farmers will get all service under one roof in this building, which has added a new chapter in the field of farmers’ empowerment in the state,” he said, hoping that the agriculture department would succeed in providing more service to the farmers.

Naveen also reiterated his commitment for the welfare of the farmers’ community.

The uniqueness of Krushi Bhavan is that the building is naturally cooled, and it reduces the energy consumption substantially. Besides, all the waster water generated will be recycled and reused, said an official.