PM Modi to launch development projects worth ₹47,600 crore in Odisha

The Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for projects spanning energy, roads, irrigation, health, education and industrial infrastructure

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for various development projects worth over ₹47,600 crore during his one-day visit to Odisha on Saturday.

 

Among the major projects, the foundation stone of Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL) at Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda district will be laid. The project, to come up with an investment of around ₹25,000 crore, will promote cleaner utilisation of domestic coal resources, reduce import dependence and create new industrial and employment opportunities in the region.

 

The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone virtually from Dandbose in Mayurbhanj district, where he is scheduled to attend a grand event organised to mark the second anniversary of the BJP government in Odisha. President Droupadi Murmu will join the Prime Minister during the visit, making it a rare and significant occasion for the state.

   

In April, Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL) and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) signed an agreement for the country's first indigenous coal-to-ammonium nitrate project. The project will be spread across 350 acres of MCL land.

 

At around 11.15 am, the President and the Prime Minister will visit Pahadpur village in Mayurbhanj district. They will offer prayers at the sacred groves, Santhali Jahera and Ho Jahera, and visit the Skill Centre and Pahadpur School.

 

At around 1 pm, the President and the Prime Minister will participate in the programme themed “Vikas ra Dhara, Odisha Sara”. During the programme, inauguration and foundation-stone-laying ceremonies will be held for projects across key sectors, including energy, industrial infrastructure, road connectivity, drinking water, health, education, tourism and irrigation.

 

Among the major projects for which foundation stones will be laid are the 600 MW Upper Indravati pumped storage project and the Stage-II expansion project of the IB Thermal Power Station, comprising two units of 660 MW each. These projects will enhance energy security and support economic growth in Odisha.

 

Other projects for which foundation stones will be laid include a 300 tonnes per day (TPD) source-segregated municipal solid waste-based compressed biogas plant at Bhubaneswar, a bridge over the Kathajodi river providing a direct link between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, widening and strengthening of the Dhalpur-Harbhanga Road in Boudh district, and the four-laning of a section of NH-353 from Nuapada to Ghatipada, the Kusumdihi mega-lift irrigation project, the IGNOU regional centre and an indoor badminton complex at Rairangpur, among others.

 

Some important projects to be inaugurated include the Nayagarh Town Bypass on NH-57, the underground pipeline component of the Kusumi Smart Irrigation Project, the Jakhapura-Jajpur Keonjhar Road-Baitarani Road multi-tracking project, the Hindol Road-Meramandali multi-tracking project, and the Sports Complex and Tribal Research Centre at Rairangpur.

 

The 300-bed district headquarters hospital building at Boudh, 13 rural roads in six districts, six mega piped water-supply projects, along with 24 Atal Bus Stands and nine automated driving-testing stations across various districts, will also be inaugurated by the Prime Minister before he leaves for West Bengal.

 

Officials said the projects are expected to strengthen infrastructure, improve connectivity, enhance energy security and generate employment opportunities across Odisha. These initiatives will further accelerate growth in tribal and rural regions and extend the benefits of development to every corner of the state, they said.