PM, President to Launch Projects Worth Over ₹47,600 Crore in Odisha Rairangpur
Rairangpur, June 20 (UDN): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu will jointly inaugurate and lay foundation stones for development projects worth more than ₹47,600 crore in Odisha during a high-profile programme at Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district on Saturday.
The event, themed ‘Vikas ra Dhara, Odisha Sara’, coincides with the second anniversary celebrations of the BJP government in the state and is expected to showcase major initiatives across infrastructure, energy, connectivity, healthcare and rural development sectors.
Officials said the projects are aimed at accelerating Odisha’s growth trajectory and strengthening the state’s march towards a ‘Viksit Odisha’. The programme underscores the Centre’s continued focus on expanding infrastructure and industrial capacity in the state.
Ahead of the visit, Prime Minister Modi, in a social media post, said he would visit Pahadpur village in Mayurbhanj along with President Murmu before attending the anniversary programme. Notably, Mayurbhanj is the home district of the President.
Among the key projects for which foundation stones will be laid is the ₹25,016-crore Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL) project at Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda district. The Prime Minister will also launch the 600 MW Upper Indravati Pumped Storage Project and the Stage-II expansion of the IB Thermal Power Station, which includes two units of 660 MW each.
President Murmu arrived in Rairangpur on Friday evening from Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal. Her arrival was delayed by nearly two hours due to adverse weather conditions.
Soon after reaching Rairangpur, the President inaugurated the satellite centre of AIIMS Bhubaneswar at Rairangpur Hospital. She also flagged off a free medical camp on the hospital premises and interacted with doctors and patients.
During her visit, President Murmu will additionally inaugurate two railway multi-tracking projects worth over ₹732 crore. These include the 19-km Jakhapura–Jajpur Keonjhar Road–Baitarani Road section, completed at a cost of ₹323 crore, and the 27-km Hindol Road–Meramandali line built at an investment of ₹409 crore. The latter forms part of the strategically important Budhapank-Salegaon rail corridor that caters to heavy freight movement from Odisha’s mineral-rich regions.
The visits by the President and the Prime Minister are expected to provide a significant boost to Odisha’s infrastructure and industrial development agenda.