Nabarangapur: He may be a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA, but it hasn’t stopped him from working on his agricultural field and sowing paddy saplings along with other workers. Manohar Randhari is a three-time lawmaker from Dabugaon Assembly seat in Nabarangpur district. Manohar Randhari, has been spending seven hours every day on his 25-acre farmland.
The MLA, along with his government employee wife, starts work on his farmland at 5.00am. Randhari’s wife leaves for office at 10 am and he continues to toil on his field till noon.
Randhari’s dedication to farming has earned him praise from Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
“I have been farming even before I became a legislator. Since my father died last year, I am active this time. Though I work as a politician to do social service, agriculture is my profession and source of income,” Randhari said.
The MLA said he does farming for two months every year at his Majhiguda village. Observing that only agriculture can fill stomachs during the COVID-19 outbreak, he urged youths to focus on farming. The legislator said he earns Rs 7,00,000 annually from paddy and corn cultivation.
“I want everyone – from government employees to businessmen to devote some time to farming. It will help us alleviate poverty and become self-sufficient,” Randhari said.
Randhari said he does not yearn for publicity. He is clueless on how the photograph of him toiling on his field went viral on the social media.
Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu meanwhile tweeted in Hindi and Odia lauding Randhari’s effort. “Odisha MLA Manohar Randhari toils on the field for two months in a year. He says youths should not hesitate to do farming,” Naidu tweeted.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in a Twitter post, “Appreciate party MLA Manohar Randhari for leading by example with his commitment to agriculture and taking pride in his work on the field.”
Randhari has been elected to the Odisha Assembly three times in a row. He won the Dabugaon seat in 2019, and emerged victorious from the Nabarangpur constituency in 2009 and 2014.