Bhubaneswar: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, will inaugurate the 84th session of the Indian Road Congress (IRC) in Bhubaneswar Friday.
Briefing media persons here on the eve of the beginning of the IRC, state Works minister Prithviraj Harichandan said that Odisha is going to host the session for the sixth time, and the last session was held in Bhubaneswar a decade ago.
While Gadkari will inaugurate the session in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, two union ministers of state and about 3,500 delegates, including engineers, scientists, academicians, and administrators from across the country, are expected to participate in the four-day-long event, he said.
The focus of this year’s congress will be on sustainable, resilient, and eco-friendly infrastructure that meets the challenges of rapid urbanisation, technological advancements, and climate change, officials said.
“The Government of India, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has a vision to build a Viksit Bharat by 2047, while Odisha also has a vision to be a Viksit state by 2036. So, development of road infrastructure is going to play a vital role in achieving the goals, and such a conference will help to achieve the goals,” Harichandan said.
The state government has initiated a process to construct 75,000 km roads in five years as a promise made before the 2024 poll, he said, adding, “We have an ambitious target to make Odisha a top state in road network during the next 8 to 10 years.”
The Odisha Works minister inaugurated an exhibition at the venue this evening. The IRC will continue till November 10 and will hold 19 technical sessions on various topics.
