Sambalpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for projects worth over Rs68,000 crore in Odisha.
Besides inaugurating the 400-crore permanent campus of IIM, Sambalpur, he unveiled several infrastructure projects in various sectors, such as power, roads and railways, in the state.
He had laid the foundation stone for the IIM campus in 2021.
After unveiling 18 projects in the state, the prime minister said, “These projects will benefit the youth of Odisha and will create employment opportunities. The Centre is supporting Odisha in every sector.”
The development works, which are either being inaugurated or for which the foundation stones are being laid, will give a significant boost to the state’s progress, he said during the function.
“Today is a significant occasion for the development journey of Odisha as development projects worth nearly Rs70,000 crore are being launched,” Modi said.
Speaking after inaugurating the IIM, Sambalpur campus, he said when an institution like this gets a modern campus, it leads to several benefits.
“Students from all over India will come here to study. It will also improve the local economy and make Sambalpur a hub for learning,” Modi said
The PM also claimed that the eastern state has greatly benefited from the policies made by the central government in the last 10 years.
He asserted that the goal of “a Viksit Bharat can only be achieved if all the states are developed”.
The Prime Minister flagged off the Puri-Sonepur-Puri weekly express, which will improve connectivity in the region, and dedicated the Jharsuguda Head Post Office Heritage Building to the nation.
He also inaugurated the 412-km Dhamra–Angul pipeline section of the Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra pipeline project (JHBDPL).
Built at a cost of around Rs2,450 crore under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga’, the project will connect Odisha with the national gas grid.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Governor Raghubar Das and Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Bishweswar Tudu and Ashwini Vaishnaw among others were present at the function.
The PM also laid the foundation stone for the 692-km Nagpur-Jharsuguda natural gas pipeline section of the Mumbai-Nagpur-Jharsuguda pipeline project.
This project will be developed at a cost of more than Rs2,660 crore and will improve natural gas availability in Odisha, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
During the programme, Modi dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stones for multiple power projects worth around Rs28,980 crore.
These projects included NTPC Darlipali superthermal plant (2×800 MW) and NSPCL Rourkela PP-II expansion project (1×250 MW) in Sundargarh district.
He laid the foundation stone for NTPC Talcher thermal power project, stage-III (2×660 MW), in Angul.
These projects will ensure the supply of low-cost power to various parts of Odisha and other states.
The PM also laid the foundation stone of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) Talabira power project worth more than Rs 27,000 crore.
Three road projects, constructed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) at the cost of Rs 2,110, were also inaugurated by the prime minister.
The PM dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stones for railway projects worth about Rs 2,146 crore.
Noting that the region is known for its potential in mining, power and steel industries, Modi said new connectivity will create possibilities for new industries in the entire region, thereby creating thousands of new employment opportunities.
He dedicated to the nation the 168-km Sambalpur-Talcher doubling railway line and Jhartarbha to Sonepur new tracks covering 21.7 km, enhancing the rail network capacity in the region, and a 50-km-long second track of Jharsuguda-Barpali-Sardega rail line phase-1 built by Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, with an investment of Rs 878 crore.
Pointing out that the earlier policy in which benefits of mineral production were not available in those areas and states where mining took place, the prime minister asserted that the issue was addressed with the formation of the District Mineral Foundation which ensured investments in the development of the same area from income received through mining.
“Odisha has so far received more than Rs25,000 crore and the money is being used for the welfare of the people in the area where mining is taking place,” he said.
The prime minister also assured the people of Odisha that the central government will continue to work for the development of the state at the same pace.
PTI
