Bhubaneswar: The first state-level meeting on the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana (PMDDKY) in Odisha was held on Tuesday at Lok Seva Bhawan under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja. The meeting reviewed preparations for rolling out the centrally sponsored scheme in the state and discussed coordination mechanisms for its effective execution.
The Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana on October 11, 2025, with the aim of accelerating agricultural development in districts identified on the basis of low production levels, moderate crop intensity and a farmers’ creditworthiness index below the national benchmark.
A total of 100 such districts have been selected across the country, including four from Odisha—Malkangiri, Nuapada, Kandhamal and Sundargarh.
Under the scheme, 36 programmes from nine Union government departments will be implemented in convergence mode in the selected districts of Odisha. These include schemes of the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department, Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department, Cooperation Department, Water Resources Department, Industries Department, Rural Development Department, Skill Development and Technical Education Department, MSME Department and the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology. The meeting held detailed discussions on the identification and alignment of these schemes to ensure coordinated implementation on the ground.
The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare will play the lead role in coordinating with various central ministries and departments to ensure effective execution of the programme, while NITI Aayog is undertaking regular reviews of its progress. The scheme seeks to encourage crop diversification, promote sustainable agricultural practices, strengthen post-harvest storage facilities at the panchayat and block levels, expand irrigation coverage and improve farmers’ access to both short-term and long-term institutional credit to drive economic growth in rural areas.
To oversee implementation, a state-level committee chaired by the Chief Secretary has already been constituted, comprising Additional Chief Secretaries, Commissioners-cum-Secretaries of key departments and NABARD officials. At the district level, committees chaired by the respective District Collectors have been formed with the participation of district officials, farmer representatives and other stakeholders. While district committees will monitor progress on the ground, the state committee will conduct regular reviews.
Experienced Indian Administrative Service officers from various central government departments have been appointed as Central Nodal Officers for the selected districts in Odisha. These officers will coordinate with central and state departments, district administrations and NITI Aayog to review progress in agriculture and allied sectors in line with district action plans, assess ground realities and monitor financial systems. The state government has also sought the nomination of nodal officers at both state and district levels from the concerned departments to strengthen coordination.
Addressing the meeting, Principal Secretary of the Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department, Dr Arabinda Kumar Padhee, said the scheme would accelerate development in tribal-dominated areas, aspirational districts and aspirational blocks by converging ongoing programmes of the agriculture department with initiatives of allied sectors. The Director of Agriculture presented details of the various schemes proposed to be implemented under PMDDKY.
Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja observed that the programme has created new opportunities to expand the scope of development work across departments and districts. He called for close cooperation among central ministries, NITI Aayog, state departments and district administrations to ensure the successful implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana in Odisha.
