Baragada: BaragadaLok Sabha member Pradeep Purohit has urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to approve a special development package for supporting the economically backward and drought-prone Padampur sub-division, drawing on the Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput (KBK) model. Purohit asked Sitharaman for development package for six blocks: Paikmal, Padampur, Jharbandh, Sohela, Bijepur, and Gaisilet. He noted the region faces recurring droughts, poor irrigation, water shortages, and low job growth despite high farming potential. To address this, Purohit requested stronger irrigation infrastructure and the promotion of allied activities like horticulture, dairy farming, and fisheries. To create jobs and boost crop value, the MP proposed building agro-processing units, food industries, MSME clusters, and industrial infrastructure to fix Padampur’s limited industrial base.