Orissa government to dig a pond in every village

Bhubaneswar, May 2 (UNI) The Orissa government has decided to dig a pond in every revenue village to extend irrigation facilities to the people.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today discussed the implementation of the project with District Collectors of all the 30 districts of the state through video conferencing.

Mr Patnaik said the government had declared the current year as the year of irrigation and given top priority to irrigation.

The government had decided to dig a pond in every village with an objective to extend irrigation facilities.

The Chief Minister said poor people of the village would get work if new ponds were dug or the old ones were renovated.

Mr Patnaik stressed the importance for the implementation of the project in the backward KBK region.

He directed the District Collectors to monitor the progress of the work on day-to-day basis.

The Chief Minister decentralised the system of providing assistance from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to the poor and needy patients and empowered the Collectors to provide assistance.

Mr Patnaik asked the Collectos to ensure that the poor people get the benefit at the right time.

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