Dikhyaa Mohanty 
To improve education and research in the agricultural industry, the Odisha government is looking at establishing new Agriculture and Allied Science Colleges around the state. Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment and Energy, presided over a high-level meeting on the proposal on Monday at Lok Seva Bhawan.
Finding possible sites for the planned institutions—which seek to increase production, encourage sustainable practices, and create lucrative agricultural systems in agriculture and related fields—was the main topic of debate. The idea of establishing a second Agriculture University in Sambalpur was also discussed at the conference, as it was part of the government’s campaign pledge.
Senior officials took part in the discussions and contributed important ideas on the proposal, including OUAT Vice Chancellor Prof. Pravat Kumar Raul, Principal Secretary of Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Suresh Kumar Vashishth, Principal Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, and Principal Secretary of Finance Department Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra.
