New OUAT campus to come up in Sambalpur: Odisha Deputy CM

Sambalpur will soon get a campus of the prestigious Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT). This announcement was made by Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo on Sunday. The Minister further informed that a team will soon visit the site.

The Minister added that agricultural colleges will also be set up in Mayurbhanj and Berhampur, while a Fisheries and Animal Resources College will be established in Sonepur.

The announcement came during the 64th Foundation Day celebration of OUAT, where Governor and Chancellor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Fisheries & Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallick, MLA Babu Singh, and OUAT Vice-Chancellor Pravat Kumar Roul were present.

On this occasion, 33 smart farmers or successful farmers from across the state were felicitated and awarded. The Governor personally felicitated them and praised their contributions.

In another major development, the OUAT campus has been made fully Wi-Fi enabled for the first time. This initiative aims to connect students with advanced knowledge and skills. With this facility, students, professors, and researchers will now have better access to resources for education and research. The Governor inaugurated the Wi-Fi service on the campus.

During the 'Smart Agriculture and Developed Odisha' roundtable discussion, the Agriculture Minister advised farmers to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and instead focus on organic farming, which would ensure a healthier environment for all.

Must Read: OUAT fills vacant posts with retired staff, leaving youth jobless: RTI revelations

He highlighted that while India imports pulses and edible oils, there is significant export potential for crops like millets which have recently been shipped abroad. The minister urged farmers to adopt organic practices, promising government support for exports of quality produce.

The Minister cautioned that excessive use of fertilizers may yield higher output locally, but such produce often gets rejected in international markets and dumped at sea.