Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg has called for 100% utilisation of the Deras Sea-Food Park and stronger investment, production and exports in the seafood sector.
Garg visited the seafood park on Wednesday afternoon and held discussions with leading seafood exporters on processing, value addition, exports and industry development.
She sought feedback from exporters on their concerns, requirements and possible solutions to strengthen the sector.
The chief secretary emphasised developing Deras Sea-Food Park into a fully functional, export-oriented seafood processing and value-addition hub.
During the visit, Garg also held a meeting with officials and stakeholders at Deras. She reviewed the status of allotted plots and the progress of industrial units.
The review covered operational units, units under construction and projects at the planning stage. She also issued necessary directions to improve the park’s functioning.
The focus is on maximising the use of the park’s infrastructure and common facilities, improving the operational efficiency of industrial units and addressing investors’ concerns.
The initiative is part of the state’s Blue Economy vision under Viksit Odisha 2036 and Viksit Bharat 2047.
Garg also visited the Centre of Excellence on Horticulture at Deras. She inspected facilities and cultivation activities, including an advanced shade net, papaya nursery, VNR seedless guava, dragon fruit and red banana cultivation.
She also inspected a solar-powered cold storage unit with a capacity of 10 metric tonnes and reviewed modern horticultural technologies and cultivation methods.
The chief secretary advised officials to expand the Centre of Excellence beyond its role as a demonstration and training centre.
She suggested promoting agro-tourism through field visits and exposure to modern horticultural practices. The initiative could provide hands-on learning opportunities for students, farmers, entrepreneurs and tourists.
Garg later visited Deras Eco Park and Jhumuka Irrigation Dak Bungalow to explore their potential for tourism development.
Principal Secretary of Water Resources Subha Sharma, OPTCL Managing Director Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma, Fisheries and Animal Resources Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Prem Chandra Choudhary, IDCO Managing Director D. Prasanth Kumar Reddy and other officials and stakeholders were present during the visit.
Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav, Director of Horticulture Kalunge Gorakh Waman, and Tourism Director Deepankar Mohapatra also accompanied the Chief Secretary during different parts of the visit.
