BJD Rajya Sabha member Narendra Kumar Swain inquired to know in the Upper House from the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare whether the Central Government is going to set up the Indian Institute of Pulse Research in Bhubaneswar.
Replying to Swain’s query, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmer Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar replied that a memorandum of understanding between the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar and ICAR – Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, has been signed on February 26.
In this connection, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had earlier requested the then Minister Radha Mohan Singh to set up a national level pulses research institute in the State in the larger interest of the agrarian communities so that suitable variety can be developed in a time bound manner. Justifying his stand Chief Minister Patnaik had provided the data that 20.88 lakh hectares of land including 6.86 lakh hectares in Kharif season and 14.02 lakh hectares in Rabi season are cultivated in Odisha, higher than most States in India.
