Tagore Society for Rural Development, Orissa Projects was formed and registered under Societies Registration Act 1860 on 1st November, 2004 at Bhubaneswar as an independent and autonomous Civil Society Organisation . Sri Pyarimohan Mohapatra,IAS,(Retd.) was the founder Chairman and Late Parbati Prasad Mohapatra was the Secretary with a number of distinguished persons of the State like Late Sarat Chandra Maharana, Biswanath Patnaik, Prof. B.K.Behura, Ms. Labanya Rekha Mitra and Prof. Radhamohan as members of the Society. Prof. Radhamohan is the present Chairman of the Society.

However, our journey dates back to sometime in 1969 when Tagore Society for Rural Development was established at Kolkata as one of the oldest National Level Organisations in Eastern India with Loknayak Jai Prakash Narayan as Chairman & renowned revolutionary freedom fighter Panalal Dasgupta as Secretary.

The objective was to promote rural reconstruction and development on the lines of Gandhian ideals as envisioned by Kabi Guru Rabindranath Tagore “bring back life in all its completeness- making the villagers self reliant and self respectful”.

Tagore Society for Rural Development extended its activities into tribal areas of South Odisha covering Dandakaranya Project in the year 1979. At the State level an Advisory Committee of TSRD Odisha Chapter was set up with a number of distinguished personalities. A State Liaison Office was set up at Bapujinagar,Bhubaneswar with Late Gokul Chandra Sengupta as Liaison Officer to monitor, supervise & coordinate the activities of the Society.

With growth & diversification of activities, the Management of TSRD desired that the State Units should become autonomous and independent to take over activities in respective States following the basic ideals of the Society. In pursuance to the above resolution and request of the management of the Society in the year 2002, Tagore Society for Rural Development, Orissa Projects was constituted.

TSRD, Orissa Projects is indebted to the mother Society at Kolkata for facilitation of financial and technical support for plantation of various timber and fruit species which includes mango, cashew and other plants under Greening India Programme with financial support from Felissimo Forest Foundation, Japan. TSRD is a partner of the Collective Forms of Cooperation, ODAF (Orissa Development Action Forum) for a quarter century promoting sustainable livelihood, education, health, advocacy, capacity building, alternative livelihood options with assistance from EZE & BfdW, Germany.

Under Revitalisation of Rain fed Agriculture the Malkangiri unit of TSRD is in receipt of support from HIVOS, Netherland and Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives through PARIVARTAN, Malkangiri.TSRD is running a residential primary school at Markelguda Education Complex in Korukonda block of Malkangiri for tribal girls with support from Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. of India for last two decades promoting education among women in low literacy left wing extremist affected pockets of Malakangiri district. Our Education Complex has been instrumental in influencing the innocent Koya girls to lead a more peaceful and productive life without any distraction.

The Society has two OTELP projects in Nandapur & Semiliguda blocks covering 10 micro watersheds each in Koraput district. It has two OTELP PLUS projects in 13 micro watersheds in Nandapur-Pottangi blocks of Koraput district and 10 micro watersheds in Korukonda block of Malkangiri district.It is running AROGYA PLUS project in two sub centres of Madkapadar and Baddural in naxal affected Khairput block of Malkangiri district.During the super cyclone of 1999 the Society constructed 200 units of RCC roof pucca houses for distressed in Balianta block of Khurda district and Barang block of Cuttack district with support from GOAL, Ireland

The Society also had the experience of promoting Pani panchayats in Cuttack, Dhenkanal and Angul districts promoting irrigation through collective farmers participation.