Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced the launch of the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana, under which beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and State Food Security Scheme (SFSS) will receive an additional 5 kg of rice per month free of cost, increasing their total monthly entitlement to 10 kg per person.
The announcement was made as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government completed two years in office.
Addressing a press conference, Majhi said the state government has launched 121 new schemes, programmes and initiatives over the past two years, claiming that Odisha is steadily moving towards the goal of becoming a “Samruddha Odisha” by 2036.
Highlighting the government’s welfare and development initiatives, the Chief Minister said women’s empowerment has remained a key priority. He cited flagship programmes such as Subhadra, Mukhyamantri Kanya Bibaha and Kanya Sumangala Yojana, and said more than four lakh Self-Help Groups (SHGs) received subsidised bank loans worth Rs 38,795 crore during the period.
Majhi also claimed that Odisha has emerged as one of the leading states in creating “Lakhpati Didis”, reflecting the government’s efforts to strengthen women’s economic independence.
Referring to farmers as “Annadatas”, the Chief Minister said the government has undertaken several measures to strengthen the agriculture sector, including the implementation of the Samruddha Krushak Yojana, one of the first major decisions taken after the BJP assumed office in the state.
In a major education-related announcement, Majhi said education from Kindergarten (KG) to Postgraduate (PG) level would be made completely free in Odisha.
The Chief Minister further said the Ayushman Bharat-Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana has extended cashless healthcare benefits to 3.46 crore beneficiaries, with access to treatment in more than 32,000 hospitals across the country. He added that several newly established medical colleges have become operational during the government’s tenure, while more institutions are in the pipeline.
On infrastructure development, Majhi said the state has allocated Rs 72,100 crore towards capital expenditure in the current budget, equivalent to 6.5 per cent of Odisha’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), which he claimed is the highest among all states.
Emphasising industrialisation as a key driver of growth, the Chief Minister said Odisha has attracted investment proposals worth Rs 20 lakh crore through the Utkarsh Odisha conclave and various investment summits and roadshows held across the country.
Responding to opposition criticism over the performance of the double-engine government, Majhi pointed to the removal of the term “Dham” from the Jagannath temple project at Digha and highlighted ongoing railway projects worth Rs 90,000 crore and road projects exceeding Rs 30,000 crore in the state.
He also cited key infrastructure initiatives, including the Rameswar–Tangi and Rameswar–Paradip coastal roads and the proposed Bhubaneswar–Cuttack–Puri–Paradip Corridor, stating that these projects would accelerate regional development. Majhi further said plans are underway to develop Bhubaneswar as a Greater Bhubaneswar urban region.
