Odisha’s Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, on Monday, August 18, chaired a high-level meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar to discuss a significant proposal for the future of agricultural education in the state.
The high-level meeting focused on the proposal for the establishment of new colleges for agriculture and allied sciences at different locations across the state, as well as a new agricultural university in Sambalpur, fulfilling a key manifesto promise by the current BJP government ahead of the 2024 simultaneous Lok Sabha and Odisha assembly election.
Taking to X, the Deputy CM wrote in a post, “Participated in a key meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan regarding proposal for establishment of agriculture and allied sciences colleges in different locations in the State.”
“As per the manifesto promise, the proposal for establishment of another agriculture University in Sambalpur was also discussed,” Singh Deo added in the post.
Participated in a key meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan regarding proposal for establishment of agriculture and allied sciences colleges in different locations in the State. As per the manifesto promise, the proposal for establishment of another agriculture University in Sambalpur was… pic.twitter.com/BZ3TiyQyYF
— Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo (Modiji Ka Parivar) (@KVSinghDeo1) August 18, 2025
During the discussion, Singh Deo emphasized the importance of the new university in advancing agricultural research, empowering farmers, and fostering innovation in sustainable farming methods.
The institution aims to produce skilled graduates and post-graduates equipped for global competitiveness, which in turn will help increase productivity and develop profitable farming systems.
The meeting also addressed the broader plan to establish new agriculture and allied sciences colleges across various locations in the state.
The move is part of the BJP-led state government’s strategy to transform agriculture and its allied professions into profitable enterprises, ensuring food and nutritional security for the people of Odisha.
Senior officials who attended the meeting included Principal Secretary of the Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment Department, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee; Principal Secretary of the Finance Department, Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra; Principal Secretary of the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department, Suresh Kumar Basith; and the Vice Chancellor of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Dr. Pravat Kumar Raul.
Earlier in June, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who is also the MP from Sambalpur, wrote a letter to Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi for the establishment of four specialised agriculture-related colleges in Sambalpur — College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, College of Dairy Technology, College of Fisheries, and College of Agri-Business Management.
