President, PM to inaugurate projects worth Rs 47,600 crore for Odisha
BHUBANESWAR: In a move that is seen as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s steadfast focus on Odisha’s development and progress, President Droupadi Murmu and the PM himself are set to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for projects worth more than Rs 47,600 crore at Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district, on Saturday.
Their visit marks the second anniversary celebration of the first BJP government in the state. The programme, themed ‘Vikas ra Dhara, Odisha Sara’, will witness the launch of projects covering multiple sectors including infrastructure, connectivity, energy, healthcare and ruraldevelopment. The initiatives reflect the commitment of the Centre and state towards building a Viksit Odisha, party sources said.Major projects for which foundation stone would be laid include the Rs 25,016 crore Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL) project at Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda district. Foundation stone will also be laid for the 600 MW Upper Indravati Pumped Storage project and the Stage-II expansion of the IB Thermal Power Station comprising two units of 660 MW each.After arriving, the President inaugurated the satellite centre of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar at Rairangpur hospital. She also launched a free medical camp on the hospital premises and interacted with the doctors and patients.The 300-bedded district headquarters hospital building at Boudh along with 24 Atal bus stands and nine automated testing stations across districts will also be inaugurated. Besides, 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, Hindol Road-Meramandali Multi-Tracking project and Sports Complex and Tribal Research Centre at Rairangpur will also be launched
During her stay, the President will inaugurate two major multi-tracking railway projects worth over Rs 732 crore. The projects include the 19-km-long Jakhapura – Jajpur Keonjhar Road – Baitarani Road multi-tracking section, which has been completed at an investment of Rs 323 crore. The second is the 27-km Hindol Road-Meramandali multi-tracking line, built at a cost of Rs 409 crore.
Meanwhile, the President arrived at Rairangpur on Friday evening by road from Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal. Her arrival was delayed by around two hours due to adverse weather conditions. She was scheduled to arrive at the Dandbose airstrip in Mayurbhanj
In a social media post on the eve of his visit, the prime minister announced that he will be in Mayurbhanj on June 20. “This visit will be noteworthy as Rashtrapati Ji will be joining the programme. Mayurbhanj is also the home district of the President. Rashtrapati Ji and I will be in Pahadpur village, after which we will join the programme to mark two years of the Odisha Government. Development works worth over Rs 47,000 crore would either be