PM to unveil Odisha projects Monday, address rallies in Jan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is to unveil projects worth around Rs 15,000 crore in Odisha on Monday, is slated to visit the state again twice next month, a senior party leader said Sunday.

Modi will visit Odisha to address two meetings on January 5 and January 16, BJP state in-charge Arun Singh said.

During his brief Odisha visit on Monday, he will dedicate the new campus of IIT-Bhubaneswar at Aragul built at a cost of Rs 1660 crore and launch a slew of projects related to higher education, health, road and highways and culture via video conferencing from there.

The prime minister will address a public meeting near Khurda on Monday.

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who took stock of preparations for Modi's one-day Odisha visit, said the prime minister will unveil several developmental projects worth Rs 15,000 crore in line with his vision of "PURBODAYA" - a prosperous East for building a new India.

Thereafter, the PM will also address a gathering from the foothills of Barunei hills near Khurda - the land of 'Paika Rebellion', he said.

Asserting that a wave of change is now sweeping across Odisha ahead of 2019 elections, the BJP state in-charge said the prime minister is all set to visit the state twice in January next year.

Modi will visit Odisha on January 5 to address a public meeting at Baripada in Mayurbhanj district, while he is slated to attend another meeting in the state on January 16, Singh said.

Stating that the popularity of the prime minister has been growing in Odisha, the senior BJP leader claimed, "Modiji occupies an important position in the hearts of the people of the state."