Bhubaneswar: In a rare joint public appearance, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are set to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for multiple development projects worth more than Rs 47,600 crore in Odisha on Saturday.
The event coincides with the completion of two years in office for the state’s first BJP-led government under Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
The mega programme, themed ‘Vikas ra Dhara, Odisha Sara’, will take place at Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district, President Murmu’s hometown. Prime Minister Modi highlighted the significance of the visit in a post on X, noting that he and the President would first visit Pahadpur village, her in-laws’ home, before joining the main event. There, they plan to offer prayers at the sacred Jahera groves of the Santhali and Ho communities.
“This visit will be noteworthy as Rashtrapati Ji will be joining the programme … Rashtrapati Ji and I will be in Pahadpur village,” he posted, adding development works worth “over Rs 47,000 crore would either be inaugurated or their foundation stones would be laid”. They will also visit a Skill Development Centre and a school, highlighting efforts to strengthen education, skill development and socio-economic empowerment in tribal regions.
The visit also holds special personal significance for the President, who arrived in Rairangpur on Friday evening by road from Kalaikunda airbase after weather-related delays, as June 20 marks her 68th birthday, which she will celebrate in her native place.
Project Launch
The projects span key sectors including energy, industry, infrastructure, healthcare, education, irrigation, and connectivity, with a strong focus on tribal and rural areas. A centerpiece is the Rs 25,000 crore-plus Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Ltd (BCGCL) complex at Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda district, for which the foundation stone will be laid. Promoted as a joint venture between Coal India Ltd and BHEL, the initiative aims to promote cleaner utilization of high-ash domestic coal through gasification technology to produce ammonium nitrate, reducing import dependence and advancing India’s coal gasification mission.
Other major foundation stone layings include the 600 MW Upper Indravati Pumped Storage Project and the Stage-II expansion of the IB Thermal Power Station, which will add two 660 MW units. These are expected to significantly bolster the state’s energy security and capacity.
Inaugurations will cover a wide array of initiatives, such as the 300-bed District Headquarters Hospital in Boudh, 24 Atal Bus Stands, nine automated vehicle testing stations, the Nayagarh bypass on NH-57, and various road widening and strengthening works in districts like Boudh and Nuapada. A new bridge over the Kathajodi river will improve direct connectivity between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, while irrigation projects like the Kusumdihi Megalift and components of the Kusumi Smart Irrigation scheme will enhance agricultural support.
Railway infrastructure will also receive a boost with the inauguration of multi-tracking projects, including the 19-km Jakhapura-Jajpur Keonjhar Road-Baitarani Road section (Rs 323 crore) and the 27-km Hindol Road-Meramandali line (Rs 409 crore). Additional highlights include a municipal solid waste-based compressed biogas plant in Bhubaneswar, an IGNOU regional centre, an indoor badminton complex, and sports and tribal research facilities in Rairangpur.
The visit is being viewed as a strong signal of the central government’s commitment to Odisha’s progress, especially in its resource-rich and tribal-dominated regions, as the state marks this political milestone.
On Friday, President Murmu inaugurated the satellite centre of AIIMS-Bhubaneswar at the local hospital, launched a free medical camp, and interacted with doctors and patients, underscoring a focus on improving healthcare access in the region.
