Bhubaneswar: Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation has become an indispensable organisation of the State in the last 50 years. It has played significant role in providing the critical component of water to farmers, said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the 50th foundation day celebration of OLIC at State Convention Centre in Lok Seva Bhawan.
It may be mentioned here that the OLIC was established on October 1 1973. Over this last fifty years, OLIC has contributed to 30 percent of the total irrigation facility of the state by irrigating over 13.50 lakh hectares of cultivable land.
Speaking on the transformation of the state in food grain production, he said that known for food deficiency and poverty a few decades ago, Odisha has now become a food surplus state and the third largest supplier of food grains to our country’s public distribution system.
He added that our progressive policies in the farm sector have a transformative impact. Sustainability, crop diversification, improved water provision and use of technology are changing the way of farming. He appreciated the role of OLIC in providing the critical water component.
Highlighting the importance of water, he said that water is life; the soul of earth. It creates and nurtures life. It is critical to our food chain mechanism.
He further added, in an agrarian state like ours, farmers are the backbones of our food security system. “We need assured and uninterrupted water supply for enhancing productivity and improve livelihood of our farmers. We have conceptualized various irrigation projects in the State to achieve our objective in this direction,” he stressed.
