Dhenkanal/Angul: A number of development projects including bridges, buildings and training centres worth around Rs 120 crore were Sunday inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Angul and Dhenkanal districts.
During his visit to Angul, the Chief Minister inaugurated the ‘Biju Patnaik Institute for Training’ for trainers at Talcher developed at a cost of Rs 17.61 crore. The centre will facilitate better training to mentors of technical institutions across the state and eastern region of the country.
Patnaik also distributed work orders for 1678 households of mining-affected areas under ‘Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana’-Mining.
Besides, he distributed work orders to 1,002 construction workers under Nirman Shramik Pucca Ghar Yojana for construction of houses.
Describing Talcher as the power house of the country, Patnaik underscored the need for protection of environment of mining and industrial affected areas. The Chief Minister, who unveiled a statue of Biju Patnaik, also recalled the contribution of people in Talcher during freedom movement.
In Dhenkanal district, the CM inaugurated the Baji Rout bridge across Brahmani constructed at a cost Rs 44.6 crore. He also dedicated to people a rail overbridge constructed at Similia near Dhenkanal at a cost of Rs 22.74 crore. A road between Dhenkanal and Kamakhyanagar developed at a cost of over Rs 10 crore was also launched.
During his visit to the districts, the CM also dedicated a 200-seater ST/SC girls’ hostel inside the campus of ITI at Talcher and another at Kankadahad in Dhenkanal district that would accommodate 300 ST/SC girls. Patnaik inaugurated a number of new government office buildings including those for commercial tax and agriculture departments.
Dhenkanal MP Tathagata Satpathy, who was a guest of honour at both the functions said, the holy ground on which we all are standing is honoured because of being the birthplace of Baji Rout, who laid down his life fighting against kings and the British at a tender age of 12.
The bridge will help people in Dhenkanal as well as in Gondia and Bhuban blocks. Satpathy said it is only Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who is fighting for uplift of all sections of people in the state. He came down heavily on Modi government’s decision to decontrol 42 life-saving medicines which were of great help to poor and common people. He said all BJD MPs opposed the Centre’s move.
He sharply criticised the rise in petrol and diesel prices in the country despite a sharp reduction in fuel prices in international market. The MP said given the drop in crude prices, petrol could have been made available at Rs 26 per litre and diesel at Rs 11 per litre. He termed the NDA government at the Centre as anti-poor, anti-farmer and anti-village.
Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallick, MLAs Nrusingha Charan Sahu, Saroj Kumar Samal and Seemarani Nayak were present at the Dhenkanal meeting while MLAs Mahesh Sahu, Braja Kishore Pradhan, Rajanikant Singh, Susant Behera, Sanjiv Sahu and MP Nagendra Pradhan attended the CM’s meeting at Angul. PNN
