Nabarangpur: The historic initiative of establishing a pilot Tourism Agricultural Village in Odisha has stalled even before its official launch, reportedly being shelved in bureaucratic cold storage. Initially, two villages in Nabarangpur district were selected for transformation into Tourism Agricultural Villages, marking a milestone in the state’s agricultural history. However, the project has now gone silent, awaiting government approval, while the proposal remains buried under files in the Agriculture Department at the Secretariat.
According to sources, the economy and progress of the tribal-dominated Nabarangpur district are entirely dependent on agriculture. However, there is a lack of sufficient facilities for farming, including inadequate irrigation and essential infrastructure, preventing the farmers from improving their financial conditions. The Central Government had included Nabarangpur in its Aspirational Districts initiative, emphasizing modern agricultural techniques and scientific supervision to boost productivity and agro-industrial development. Despite this, the initiatives have not been sufficient to uplift all farmers in the district.
In response, the district administration proposed converting two villages into Model Tourism Agricultural Villages as a pilot project. The District Council (Zilla Parishad) had prepared a blueprint for the project. Dokaribeda village in Papadahandi block and Mahulabhatta village in Umerkote block were initially chosen for inclusion in the scheme. Last year, under the chairmanship of Zilla Parishad President Motiram Nayak, a roadmap was created with the presence of the Chief Development and Executive Officer. The project aimed to boost production through modern farming techniques, ensuring the economic growth of farmers. The ultimate goal was to transform Nabarangpur into an agriculturally prosperous district.
However, despite being submitted for government approval, the project remains stalled in the State Agriculture Department. The proposal has not progressed beyond the initial stages, remaining buried under bureaucracy. Now, all eyes are on the government to see when the project will be sanctioned and implemented.