Within a month of government formation, two ministers in the Naveen Patnaik cabinet have openly sparred over jurisdiction of their ministries regarding improvement of infrastructure for marketing of agricultural produce.
Damodar Rout, minister for Cooperation and Excise department, has asked Food and Civil Supplies minister Sanjay Dasburma not to set agenda for the bodies that are not controlled by the Civil Supplies department.
"How will it work if the Food and Civil Supplies minister continues to interfere in the operation of institutions that are run by the Cooperation department. It would be better if he takes charge of the Cooperation department as well, " said Rout.
Recently, after visiting several rice purchasing yards in Kalahandi districts, Dasburma had proposed that the spending limits on improving infrastructures of these yards should be raised to Rs 50 lakh from Rs 5000 at present.
However, according to Odisha Agriculture Produce Market Act, the Regulated Marketing Committees (RMCs) are supposed to look after the management of the yards under the supervision of the Cooperation department, currently held by Rout.
Rout was upset that he was not consulted by Dasburma before coming up with such proposal.
Dasburma said, he has already apprised the Chief Minister of the need to enhance funding for the marketing yards of RMCs and soon there would be inter-departmental meeting to sort out the matter.
