Rairangpur: President Droupadi Murmu Friday began her two-day visit to Odisha by inaugurating five projects in her hometown Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district, underscoring the government’s focus on tribal welfare and regional development.
Rairangpur is regarded as Murmu’s ‘karma bhoomi’ (workplace), from where she began her political career as a councillor in the local municipality in 1997 before going on to become an MLA, a minister in Odisha, the governor of Jharkhand and subsequently the country’s first tribal President.
In a post on X, the President’s office said Murmu inaugurated a medical camp organised by AIIMS Bhubaneswar at the sub-divisional hospital in Rairangpur.
She also inaugurated a mega integrated rural piped water supply project for mining-affected villages under Kusumi block, Matrushakti Bhavan of the Brahma Kumaris, a special circuit house and the Rairangpur police district headquarters, it said.
During the programmes, the President interacted with doctors, patients, women volunteers and members of the Brahma Kumaris organisation.
Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, ministers, MPs, MLAs and other dignitaries attended the events.
Earlier, Murmu had to travel to Rairangpur by road from Kalaikunda Air Force Station in neighbouring West Bengal after adverse weather conditions disrupted her scheduled helicopter journey, official sources said.
According to the sources, the President’s helicopter could not take off from Kalaikunda AFS near Kharagpur due to inclement weather, forcing her to cover the approximately 140 km distance by road. She had arrived at Kalaikunda from Indore by a special flight.
Murmu reached Rairangpur around 5.45 pm, nearly two hours behind her scheduled arrival time of 3.45 pm, they said.
The President travelled via the Jamsola check gate and entered Odisha near Jhadpokharia. The route passed through National Highway-49 before connecting to the state highway from Bisoi to Rairangpur.
Despite the delay, all scheduled programmes, including the inauguration of the medical camp and the launch of the piped water supply project, were held as planned, an official said.
The governor and the chief minister also travelled by road to Rairangpur from Bhubaneswar in view of the weather-related disruption.
Meanwhile, in a post on X, Majhi welcomed the President to Odisha and described her visit as a matter of pride for the people of the state.
“I welcome our Odisha’s daughter and Honourable President of the country, Smt Droupadi Murmu, to the state. Her visit to grace the celebration of two years of our government’s service and good governance is a moment of immense pride and honour for over four crore Odias,” the chief minister said.
He said the President’s guidance would inspire the state in its efforts towards development and prosperity.
PTI