Hyderabad: Stating that agriculture is a science, Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma said modern farming now depends on research, innovation and scientific methods.
He said the national slogan evolved from “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” to “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan.” Now, it stands as “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan,” reflecting the role of research in agriculture.
On Friday, the Governor visited Mattapalli in Mathampally mandal of Suryapet district. He offered special prayers at the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple along with his family.
Temple priests and Vedic scholars accorded him a traditional welcome. Officials offered Purna Kumbham, Vedic blessings and prasadam.
Later, the Governor visited stalls set up by various government departments. He interacted with beneficiaries and students. Meanwhile, officials briefed him on welfare schemes and ongoing development programmes.
He said large-scale farming in the district was encouraging. He also appreciated the expansion of oil palm cultivation. The Governor noted that rivers such as the Krishna and Godavari added to the region’s prosperity.
Governor lays foundation stones for education and agriculture projects
Subsequently, the Governor laid the foundation stone for an agriculture college at Mugudam Nagar near Huzurnagar. The project will cover 100 acres with an outlay of ₹150 crore.
He also laid the foundation stone for a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya near Kodad. The school will be built at a cost of ₹50 crore.
In addition, the Governor inaugurated development works at the Mattapalli temple. These include a Yatrika Sadan and a new kitchen shed costing ₹1 crore. He also laid the foundation for dormitory buildings with another ₹1 crore allocation.
Addressing a public meeting, the Governor said visiting the temple on Vasantha Panchami was a memorable experience. He added that the Krishna River enhanced the spiritual importance of Mattapalli.
Moreover, he said the agriculture college would benefit farmers across the region. Similarly, he noted that the Navodaya school would support rural students.
On the occasion, the Governor distributed agricultural machinery worth ₹2.47 crore to farmers. He also handed over cheques worth ₹504 crore to women self-help groups under bank linkage. Another ₹89 crore was released to support income-generation activities.
Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana led the country in paddy production and supplied free fine rice to 85 per cent of the population.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Thummala Nageswara Rao said agriculture would outpace IT and AI. He said Telangana had emerged as the country’s leading paddy producer and expanded oil palm cultivation across 10 lakh acres.
District in-charge Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar, Agricultural University Vice-Chancellor Aldas Janaiah, District Collector Tejas Nand Lal Pawar and other representatives also spoke. MPs, MLAs, MLCs and senior officials attended the programme.