Burla: As entire state celebrates ‘International Millet week’ TPWODL, the power distribution company in western Odisha, as a part of its campaign for Millet cultivation, has extended over all support towards Millet cultivation under its Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ) initiative. Thanks to the sincere efforts of its CSR department for over last 2 years, as many as 426 farmers of Bhatigaon, Mahulapali, Lahurapali, Kusumdhara and Bilashpur villages of Bijepur and Jharabandha block have been trained by skilled and experienced trainers on Millet cultivation in particular RAGI. About 408 farmers out of 426 were provided with seeds, fertilisers and technical equipment free of cost for RAGI cultivation. Farmers produced RAGI in 719 acres of land without using any kind of chemical and each of them have been benefited with around Rs. 38,248. With support of TPWODL, & under the Odisha millet mission program of Government of Odisha, the farmers are additionally benefited with 16,32,000.
On 06.11.2023 CEO – TPWODL Mr. Gajanan Kale, CEO – TPDDL, Mr. Ganesh Srinivasan, Baragarh Zonal Head Mr. Surendra Hota, Mrs. Aruna Marandi, Head CSR-TPWODL and other officials were present at K – Ganapali village in Bijepur to encourage the farmers and to inform them about the revenue potential and the future growth of RAGI crops. At the end, farmers expressed their satisfaction and thanked the company for its continuous support and encouragement to the farmers for these two blocks which are historically backward in nature. They also expressed their gratitude to CEO, TPWODL for this decision. While discussing with the farmers of the villages, the CEO, Mr. Kale confirmed that TPWODL will continue its focus and investment under CSR for the upliftment of the farmers and public at large in the times to come. Due to the overall rising demand of millet all over the country and because of the most focussed approach of the state government, 305 more farmers have registered this year to cultivate RAGI as part of TPWODL’s CSR program.
