Second Agriculture university in Odisha soon: Minister
Reported by Santosh Jagdev
Bhubaneswar, Aug 11:
With a view to carrying out sustainable agriculture practices and promoting the animal husbandry and livestock sector in the state, the Odisha Government proposes to set up two more universities soon in the state, a second Agriculture University and a separate Veterinary University, Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Pradip Maharathy said today.
Addressing a felicitating ceremony to qualifying JRF students at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) here, Maharathy said the State Government had already taken an in-principle decision to open a second Agriculture University on the lines of the OUAT in the KBK region soon.
“The Government has already taken an in-principle decision for setting up the second Agriculture University in the state while a proposal for setting up of a separate Veterinary University is now under active consideration of the Government,” the Minister said.
“The Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will soon lay the foundation stone for the second Agriculture University,” Maharathy added.
The Minister further said an Agriculture College will also be opened at the newly established Xavier University at Pipili on the outskirt of the city.
On the prevailing potato crisis in the State, Maharathy said the primary reason for the repeated crisis in the tuber is the lack of adequate cold storage facilities in the state.
“To prevent a crisis in the supply of potato and other vegetables, the State Government will soon open 10-15 multipurpose cold storages in the State. By August end, two cold stores – one each at Titilagarh in Bolangir district and Panikoili in Jajpur district will be inaugurated,” said the Minister.
The Minister also said he had requested the Chief Minister to relax electric tariff for cold stores to promote opening of more such stores.
“I have urged the Chief Minister to consider relaxation of electric tariff for cold stores. Once the tariff rate is relaxed, we will have multi-purpose cold stores in all the 314 blocks,” the Minister added.
The Minister also called upon OUAT scientists to develop a special potato seed to make Odisha self sufficient in potato production.
OUAT Vice Chancellor Manoranjan Kar also spoke on the occasion.
Agriculture University is wastage of money. Even USA you don’t find agriculture university. It is thing of the past. Agriculture is botanical and plants and soil chemistry, bio chemistry, genetics, molecular biology. You can have these subjects in regular 4 year colleges and special 2 years or 1 year certificate programs in horticulture, floriculture, dairy tech, vet tech, poultry tech programs. These specialized certificate program will help finding a job or help n opening your own company. Please think this way.