Pre-Poll Promises: Odisha CM To Unveil Projects At Padampur Today; Check His Itinerary

Bhubaneswar: To keep the promises he made to the electorate in the run-up to the Padampur bypoll in December last year, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will be visiting the town in Odisha’s Bargarh district on Sunday to inaugurate some projects and lay foundation stones of several more.

BJD MLA Susanta Singh told the media that the CM will be inaugurating projects related to farmers’ welfare, drinking water and infrastructure at Padampur, Paikmal and Jharbandh blocks, where he will also attend public meetings, during his one-day visit. “The government has sanctioned projects worth at least Rs 1 crore to each of the 60-odd panchayats, keeping with its prepoll promise,” he added.

He is also scheduled to hand over cheques of interest-free loans to women self-help groups under Mission Shakti. A video film on the developmental projects in the block will be screened on the occasion, sources said.

The regional party had regained its confidence, which was somewhat jolted after it lost Dhamnagar bypoll to the saffron party, with a landslide victory in Padampur as BJD’s Barsha Singh Bariha trounced BJP’s Pradeep Purohit by 42679 votes.

Naveen had then announced he would come to Padampur soon to seek the people’s blessings. He will be accompanied by five cabinet colleagues.

ITINERARY

The CM will arrive at Satibhata airstrip at Padampur at 11 am and then travel to Jharbandh in a chopper. Planning and Convergence Minister Rajendra Dholkia, Padampur MLA Barsha Singh Bariha, Baramba MLA Debi Prasad Mishra and Bhatli MLA Susanta Singh will attend the programme here.

He scheduled to reach Paikmal at 12.30 pm and inaugurate and lay stones for various developmental projects at the block. He will be accompanied by Industry Minister Pratap Keshari Deb, Water Resources Minister Tukuni Sahu, and Handlooms and Textiles and Handicrafts Minister Rita Sahu.

The CM will reach Padampur at 3.45 pm. Besides launching several developmental projects, he will felicitate the members of women SHGs at an event in the block. Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari and Bargarh MLA Debesh Acharya will be attending this programme.