Eastern India to be developed as gateway to South-East Asia: PM Modi

Dedicating IIT-Bhubaneswar to youths with the hope that the new facility will provide employment opportunities to them, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that his government aims to "develop eastern India as the gateway to South-East Asia."

"IIT-Bhubaneswar will spur industrial development of Odisha, and work towards technologies to improve the lives of the people," he said in his address to the gathering on the occasion, unraveling plans to expand "healthcare infrastructure, road network, and oil and gas pipeline infrastructure" in Odisha.

"I got the opportunity to dedicate IIT-Bhubaneswar to the youth. Rs 1,260 crore has been spent on its construction. This grand campus will not only be a center of dreams for the youths of Odisha but will also provide employment opportunities," Prime Minister Modi said.

Prime Minister Modi, who reiterated the Union Government's commitment to all-round development of Odisha, earlier in the day inaugurated developmental projects worth Rs 14,523 crore in Bhubaneswar under the Centre's 'Purvodaya' vision.

Prime Minister Modi said that the total worth of the projects which were either inaugurated or for which the foundation stone was laid on Monday was worth over Rs 14,000 crore.

"The investment is a continuation of the special focus on the state by the central government for rapid socio-economic development to unleash the true potential of Odisha and bring it on par with the most developed states in the country," he said.

In Bhubaneswar, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation of Paradip Hyderabad Pipeline Product Project (PHPL) and Bokaro-Angul section of Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Gas Pipeline Project under the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga scheme.

The 1,212-kilometre long Paradip-Hyderabad product pipeline is being built by the Indian Oil Corporation at a sanctioned cost of Rs 3,800 crore. It is capable of transporting 4.5 million metric tonne per annum (MMTPA) of petrol, diesel, kerosene, and aviation turbine fuel (ATF).

The pipeline originates at Paradip and traverses through three states-Odisha (329-km), Andhra Pradesh (723-km) and Telangana (160-km) before terminating at Hyderabad. It has delivery cum pumping stations at Behrampur, Vizag, Rajahmundry, and Vijayawada.

The 667-km long Bokaro-Angul pipeline section of the landmark Jagdishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-Dhamra Pipeline Project, also a part of PM Urja Ganga scheme, is being built by the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) at a sanctioned cost of Rs 3,437 crore.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated an archeological museum at Lalitgiri, and an ESI Hospital in Bhubaneswar, which was recently ramped up from a 50 to 100 bedded hospital.

Moreover, Prime Minister Modi participated in the ceremony to mark laning of sections of four national highways, namely, Chandikhole-Bhadrak section of NH 5 (New NH 16), Khandagiri Flyover, Bhubaneswar on NH 5 (New NH 16), Cuttack-Angul section of NH 42 (New NH 55) and Tangi-Puintola section of NH 5 (New NH 16).

Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi issued Paika Rebellion Commemorative Stamp and coin and established Buxi Jagabandhu Research Chair at Utkal University.