Bhubaneswar, August 20 (LocalWire): Manohar Randhari, a three-time MLA from Nabarangpur district, carries out paddy farming two months every year on his farmland.
Recently, a photo went viral on social media of Randhari working on his land.
The three-time MLA has earned praised from Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his activities.
“Odisha MLA Manohar Randhari works for two months on his paddy farm every year,” the Vice President wrote on his Twitter handle.
“Young people should not hesitate to help out in farming or farming-related activities,” Naidu quoted Randhari in his post.
Retweeting the Vice President’s tweet, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that Randhari had set an example for others to follow.
Notably, while people are hesitant to venture into farming because of the hard work, low benefits and unpredictable nature of the work, Randhari works on his paddy farm at least two months a year.
Dabuga’s BJD MLA Manohar Randhari has sowed paddy this year on his land in Pujaripada after the rains favoured the kharif crop this year.
Randhari has employed labourers in order to finish the sowing of the paddy seeds before the Monsoon Session of the Vidhan Sabha.
“I don’t do the farming for the photos or publicity. I became an MLA in order to serve the people, but I am a farmer by profession,” he says.
“As I was an only son, I always helped out my father in his farm work. My father was a paddy farmer. I have nearly 25 acres of land in rainy areas like Pujaripada, Kesariguda and Bhatigaon,” he added.
Randhari, an MLA from Nabarangpur in 2009 and 2014, won the election from Dabuga in 2014.
He puts in a month of cultivation work every year before the winter harvest.
“My work as an MLA is not affected by my farm duties. I speak with my constituents in the evenings whenever I work on my farm during the day,” he said.
After keeping nearly 10 quintals of rice aside for guests and friends, he earns nearly 7-8 lakhs a year from selling his paddy in the market.
“Everyone should work in a farm. Farming helps to fulfill one’s own needs as well as the needs of other people by selling the produce in the market,” he says.
“I hope that other people will be inspired by my activities,” he added.
“If farmers can produce more and stockpile raw materials, the agro-based industries will definitely prosper,” he said.
“I never hesitate to introduce myself as a farmer. If the youth of today come forward to cultivate, they will be able to make a different and better identity for themselves in the society,” he said.
LocalWire
