Rice varieties named after mantri, wife kicks off row
Two newly-developed rice varieties analogous to the names of an Odisha minister and his wife has kicked up a major controversy as many deserving people have been left out.
The rice varieties developed by Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) have been named after panchayati raj minister Pradeep Maharathy and his wife Pratibha. They are OR 2327-23 (IET 20923) as Pradeep and OR 2172-7 (IET 21582) as Pratibha.
It is alleged that a top official of the research team is related to Mr Maharathy who has named the rice
It is alleged that a top official who has named the rice varieties is related to the minister
varieties after the duo.
“It was done without the knowledge of the present vice-chancellor. The then V-C had passed an order. It was done without my knowledge. No variety of rice should be named after any religion or caste. The convention is that any farm produce should be named after person or place having prominence. Someone having significant contribution to the field could be named. Nomenclature shouldn’t be done after politicians and ministers,” OUAT V-C Surendranath Pasupalak said.
While the Pipili MLA and BJD strongman Pradeep Maharathy seems to have landed in a soup, state agriculture minister Dr Damodar Rout came to the former’s defence putting the onus on the premier varsity.
“It is coincidence that the rice varieties are similar to the former agriculture minister and his wife. It might not have happened so that the minister had gone to the researchers to ask them to name them after him. It is up to the researchers. What could Pradeep Maharathy do?” asked agriculture minister Dr Damodar Rout.