Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday said that this is the right time for Keonjhar’s development, as he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for more than 71 development projects worth over ₹1,900 crore at a grand public event held at the Dharanidhar University ground in Keonjhar.
Of the total projects, foundation stones were laid for 35 projects worth ₹1,708 crore, while 36 projects worth approximately ₹194 crore were inaugurated, covering key sectors such as education, health, irrigation, roads, tourism, sports, skill development, and women and child welfare.
The projects launched in Keonjhar include construction of schools, hostels, irrigation facilities, parking zones, roads, ponds, tourism infrastructure, libraries, career counselling centres, primary health centres, anganwadi buildings, and other civic amenities.
As announced earlier, foundation stones were laid for a Regional Plant Resource Centre in Keonjhar at a cost of ₹50 crore, and 147 model anganwadi centres with an investment of ₹38.22 crore.
Additionally, block-level stadiums in six blocks were approved with an outlay of ₹101 crore, aimed at promoting sports infrastructure in the district.
Projects worth ₹21.50 crore, including 104 Additional Classroom Rooms (ACRs), ICT laboratories, and boundary walls, were inaugurated at various locations. A Nicholson Forest Training School was inaugurated at Champua with an investment of ₹14 crore, while the DMF Mineral Shakti initiative, costing ₹9.60 crore, was launched to provide skill training for youth in mining-affected areas.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Majhi said that since the foundation stone of the Maa Tarini Project was laid, a “rocket engine has been attached to Keonjhar’s double-engine development vehicle.”
He described Keonjhar as a district rich in natural resources, cultural heritage, and hardworking people, stating that it has significantly contributed to Odisha’s economic strength through minerals, forests, agriculture, and human resources.
The Chief Minister announced that most roads in Keonjhar will be upgraded to six lanes, and a ring road will be constructed in Barbil. He expressed confidence that within the next three to four years, Keonjhar will establish itself as one of the best districts in Odisha, playing a major role as a future steel city.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to balanced development, Majhi said that he had consistently raised concerns over regional disparities after the year 2000, as his own district had suffered from such imbalance.
Immediately after assuming office, the government constituted task forces for the North Odisha and South Odisha Development Councils. Once their reports are submitted, both councils will become fully functional, he said.
Highlighting statewide development efforts, the Chief Minister noted that foundation stones were laid for 110 Godavari Ideal Primary Schools across all 30 districts earlier in the day. He also referred to recent launches of projects worth ₹950 crore in Sambalpur and ₹980 crore in Bargarh, stressing that development initiatives are being undertaken across all regions of Odisha throughout the year.
“My one goal is to build a Golden Odisha,” the Chief Minister said, adding that he would continue working for people’s welfare as long as he lives. He emphasized that education, health, infrastructure, agriculture, industry, capital investment, and employment generation are essential to achieving a developed Odisha.
The government has set a target to build a prosperous Odisha by 2036, with all 30 districts forming its foundation. “If even one district remains weak, the dream of a developed Odisha will remain incomplete,” he said, asserting that industrialisation will reach every district.
Aligning Odisha’s vision with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s goal of a developed India by 2047, Majhi said inclusive development of every citizen remains the government’s top priority.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister unveiled a coffee table book titled Birds of Keonjhar and distributed assistance cheques to women beneficiaries of Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
Among those present were MP Ananta Charan Nayak, MLAs Sanatan Mahakud, Dr Fakir Charan Naik, and Akhila Chandra Naik, District Collector Vishal Singh, DIG Brijesh Ray, SP Nitin Kusalkar, DFO H.D. Dhanaraj, and senior officials.
