Bhubaneswar: Asserting that Odisha is witnessing rapid progress in all spheres, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday said development in infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, education, and welfare sectors is possible due to perfect coordination between the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state.
Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar marking 12 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, Majhi highlighted major achievements, including a record railways allocation of Rs 10,928 crore, national highway projects worth Rs 80,000 crore, and key port and industrial projects across Odisha.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal also highlighted the achievements of the Centre and the State government.
Meghwal said the scale and speed of implementation of welfare schemes have increased significantly since Modi became Prime Minister in 2014. Around four crore beneficiaries have received houses under PM Awas Yojana, while around 11 crore farmers have benefited from the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, he said.
CM Majhi described the 12-year period as an era of “absolute transformation” for India and asserted that Odisha is emerging as a major beneficiary of the Centre’s development initiatives.
Odisha’s development trajectory has accelerated under the “double-engine government” model, with improved coordination ensuring effective implementation of central schemes and direct delivery of benefits to citizens, he said.
On achievements in infrastructure, Majhi said Odisha has received a record railway allocation of Rs 10,928 crore in the current financial year, while railway projects worth Rs 90,000 crore are underway in the state. Odisha has achieved 100 per cent railway electrification and that 59 stations are being modernised under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, he said.
In maritime sector, major projects including a Rs 21,500-crore satellite port at Bahuda in Ganjam, a Rs 22,700-crore mega shipbuilding cluster in Kendrapada and development of National Waterway-5 are expected to strengthen Odisha’s position as a logistics and industrial hub, he said.
The CM also highlighted ongoing efforts to improve air connectivity through the UDAN scheme and the Centre’s approval for a proposed international airport at Puri.
On road infrastructure, he said 230 national highway projects worth Rs 80,000 crore have been approved for Odisha, with 5,400 km of highways already constructed at a cost of Rs 43,000 crore. He also announced plans for the Rs 8,307-crore Capital Region Ring Road and the Rs 8,301-crore Greenfield Coastal Highway connecting Rameshwar, Konark and Paradip.
The Chief Minister said welfare measures have significantly benefited farmers, women, tribals and fishermen. Under the PM-KISAN scheme, annual assistance is being provided to 34.59 lakh farmers, while over 23.46 lakh women have emerged as “Lakhpati Didis” through self-help group-led income generation initiatives.
More than 8.8 lakh pregnant women have received financial assistance under the PM Matru Vandana Yojana, while interest-free loans worth Rs 23,000 crore have been extended to 1.76 lakh MSME units. More than one lakh traditional artisans have also been covered under PM Vishwakarma scheme, he said.
Referring to tribal development, Majhi said road connectivity has been extended to 1,759 villages under the PM JANMAN programme, benefiting over three lakh members of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
The Chief Minister claimed that Odisha has emerged as the top-performing state in NITI Aayog’s Fiscal Health Index for two consecutive years and has made significant strides in eliminating Left Wing Extremism. He said 27 Maoists have been neutralised and 72 have surrendered, while development programmes are being implemented in formerly affected areas.
In the housing sector, Odisha has secured the top position nationally under PMAY (Urban) 2.0 with more than 1.43 lakh houses completed. Nearly 4.83 lakh rural families have also been provided pucca houses over the past two years, he said.
Majhi said Odisha has become a leading performer under the AMRUT 2.0 programme and has received national recognition in urban sanitation and cleanliness initiatives.
Referring to education, Majhi said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has been implemented successfully in the state, with 762 schools upgraded as PM-SHRI institutions and over 5,000 schools being transformed into “Nipun Vidyalayas”. Odisha’s skill development model has also been recognised as a national best practice, he added.
The Chief Minister highlighted progress in renewable energy and healthcare, stating that more than 1.12 lakh rooftop solar installations have been completed under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana.
He also noted that 1.03 crore families are covered under the Ayushman Bharat-Gopabandhu Jana Arogya Yojana, while over 22 lakh senior citizens are benefiting from the Ayushman Vayo Vandana scheme.
Majhi said new nursing colleges and traditional medicine institutions are being established across the state with central and state support to strengthen healthcare infrastructure.
Congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on completing 12 years in office, the CM said India has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing major economy despite global geopolitical challenges and has strengthened its position in renewable energy, digital infrastructure and strategic sectors.
Odisha aims to become a prosperous and developed state by 2036 and contribute to the national vision of a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047, Majhi added.
