Governor underscores growing importance of research in farming
Lays foundation stones for Agri College, Navodaya School, and devpt works
Mattapally (Suryapet)
Governor Jishnu Dev Varma noted that the famous slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” has evolved over time into “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan,” highlighting the growing importance of science and research in farming.
On Friday, the Governor visited the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Mattapalli in Mattampally mandal of Suryapet along with his wife and offered special prayers. He was welcomed by temple priests, Vedic scholars and officials with Purna Kumbham and Vedic blessings. He later visited departmental stalls set up in the temple premises and interacted with beneficiaries and students.
The Governor laid the foundation stone for an Agriculture College to be built at Mughdum Nagar near Huzurnagar on 100 acres at a cost of Rs 150 crore. He also laid the foundation stone for a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya near Kodad costing Rs 50 crore. In addition, he laid foundation stones for a pilgrims’ rest house, a new kitchen shed, and dormitory buildings at the Mattapalli temple, each project costing about Rs 1 crore.
Addressing the gathering, the Governor said he was happy to visit the temple on the auspicious day of Vasantha Panchami on the banks of the Krishna river. He said the new Agriculture College would benefit farmers, while the Navodaya School would serve students. He described it as the good fortune of the region to have major rivers like Krishna, Godavari and Kaveri, and praised the district for large-scale farming, especially oil palm cultivation.
On the occasion, the Governor distributed agricultural machinery and equipment worth Rs 2.47 crore to farmers. He also handed over cheques worth Rs 504 crore to women Self Help Groups under bank linkage and another Rs 89 crore to support income-generating activities.
Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy added that the government is committed to the development of Mattapalli and the surrounding region. He announced that a double road from Huzurnagar to Mattapalli has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 80 crore and recalled that a bridge had earlier been built at a cost of Rs 50 crore. He also asserted that the state would firmly protect its rights over Krishna and Godavari waters.
Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao added that in the future, agriculture would even surpass IT and AI in importance. He said Telangana has become the leading state in paddy production with about 2.5 crore metric tonnes and is also at the forefront in oil palm cultivation, currently covering 10 lakh acres. He said the government is setting up agriculture colleges in districts that do
not have them.
