Bhubaneswar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday inaugurated and laid foundation stone for several National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) projects in the state.
Both the leaders inaugurated the 4-laning of Kamakhyanagar-Duburi section of NH-53 on EPC (Procurement and Construction) mode, sources said.
The foundation stone was also laid for widening and strengthening of Moter to Banner via Ladugaon Road of Kalahandi district
The programme was held at the convention centre in Lok Seva Bhavan, the state secretariat, in Bhubaneswar.
Speaking on the occasion, Shah said the Central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have done a lot of work for the National Highways in the last nine years.
Thanking the Centre for its support to the state in its development agenda, Naveen said this year the state government plans to include 6,500 km of road and construction around 300 bridges. “In recent years, we have completed two airports…Odisha always believes in cooperative federalism,” the CM said.
The 51 km long 4-lane Kamkhyanagar and Duburi stretch has been constructed at an expense of Rs 761 crore. The stretch has two major bridges, seven minor bridges, seven underpasses, two animal underpasses, and 1.73 km long bypass.
Keeping safe passage of wild animals through the stretch, a 160-meter and another 80-meter animal underpasses have also been constructed.
Union Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Minister, Odisha Minister Prafulla Kumar Mallik among others were present on the ocaasion.
The Union Home Minister, who arrived in Bhubaneswar on Friday night on a two-day visit to Odisha, is scheduled to hold review meetings on Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and Disaster Management with the state government today.
Thereafter, the BJP stalwart will hold a meeting with the newly appointed state office bearers of the BJP and discuss the preparedness and strategies of the party for the next Lok Sabha and Assembly elections due in 2024.
Shah is likely to tell the party leaders on ways to take the achievements of the Modi government in nine years of governance at the Centre to the people in Odisha, party sources said.
