Bhubaneswar, June 17 (PTI) Newly elected Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Varshan Singh Deo on Monday asserted that his administration would take steps to prevent farmer suicides in the state.

He made these remarks during his interaction with senior officials of the agriculture and farmers' empowerment department after assuming office.

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In a video message, Singh Deo said, "Our focus now is to ensure there are no farmer suicides in the state."

He expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Moham Majhi for entrusting him with the critical portfolio of agriculture, which affects the majority of the state's population.

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Acknowledging the enormity of the responsibility, Singh Deo underscored the department's significant progress, achieving 90 per cent programme expenditure. He pledged to push towards reaching 100 per cent in the near future.

Singh Deo affirmed the BJP government's commitment to fulfilling 100 per cent of its manifesto promises within the next few months.

He cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's directive to ministers to uphold their commitments regardless of holidays, explaining his decision to assume office even on Eid, a public holiday.

Singh Deo visited Krushi Bhavan to familiarise himself with various sections of the department.

Similarly, the other Deputy Chief Minister, Pravati Parida, also assumed charge of the Mission Shakti department, conducting a thorough review of its schemes and activities. She emphasised strategies to broaden the impact of Mission Shakti, particularly benefiting women.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari stressed on zero tolerance towards corruption in his department, pledging stringent action against any official found engaging in corrupt practices.PTI BBM BBM

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)