Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to undertake a two-hour visit to Odisha October 25 to inaugurate the Reserve Bank of India’s Rs 169-crore data centre on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, officials said Friday.
According to the tentative itinerary shared by the chief secretary’s office, Modi is scheduled to land at Biju Patnaik International Airport here around 4.30 pm aboard a special Indian Air Force aircraft.
From the airport, the PM will take a helicopter to Khurda helipad and then proceed by road to the RBI facility at Info Valley-II in Jatni for the inauguration ceremony.
He is likely to spend an hour at the RBI’s data centre and return to Bhubaneswar by road before departing the state around 6.30 pm, according to the itinerary.
“This will be the PM’s ninth visit to Odisha after the formation of the BJP government in the state in 2024,” the party’s state vice-president Jatin Mohanty said.
He said the RBI’s data centre at Jatni will be the second of its kind after one in Navi Mumbai.
The BJP leader said the project would boost Odisha’s digital infrastructure and lead to the state’s emergence as a technology and electronics manufacturing destination.
“The PM had earlier allocated semiconductor units for Odisha and is now strengthening the digital footprint in the state,” Mohanty said.
The RBI’s facility is spread over 18.55 acres.
“The data centre is designed to strengthen data management, disaster recovery, cybersecurity, and business continuity for core functions such as currency management, payment and settlement systems, and regulatory operations,” an official said.
The foundation stone for the project was laid by then RBI governor Shaktikanta Das March 22, 2023.
The site in Info Valley-II was chosen for its geographical stability, away from seismically active zones and high-risk international border areas, reducing exposure to natural disasters and geopolitical vulnerabilities, the official said.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Chief Secretary Anu Garg have reviewed the state’s preparedness before the prime minister’s scheduled visit.
The PM had last visited the state four months ago to attend an event commemorating two years of the Majhi government.
