Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik supervised the Odisha cabinet which approved rural piped water projects worth ₹325.75 Cr in Ganjam district to supply safe drinking water to 304 villages of 4 blocks and the project is expected to be completed in 2 years and benefit around 6.6 lakh people.
Odisha CM regulated over the Odisha Cabinet, which approved rural piped water supply projects worth ₹298.69 Cr in Rayagada and Kashipur blocks to supply safe drinking water for 1.57 lakh people in 474 villages. And the expected project completion period is 24 months.
Even the rural piped water supply projects worth ₹657.57 Cr in Boudh and Kandhamal districts to supply safe drinking water to 2.79 lakh people in 975 villages was also approved by CM Patnaik and it is expected to complete by 24 months.
CM Patnaik also wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Patnaik where he demanded to pick up additional Usuna paddy from Odisha for Kharif season 2021-22. He sought the intervention of PM’s Office to direct the DFPD in this regard. CM stated that Odisha needs 2.4 million metric tonnes of paddy, while it is estimated that 52 lakh metric tonnes of paddy will be harvested during the upcoming Kharif season.
He further added that there is a risk of serious impact on the procurement of paddy in Odisha if additional paddy is not picked up from the State due to the ban imposed by the DFPD. He then stated that 10 Lakh farmers in the state, especially in such a COVID-19 crisis, would face great difficulties due to such problems. The state should be given reasonable time to align itself with the needs of the DFPD.
