Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has reaffirmed its commitment to the all-round development of Jharsuguda district, with several key infrastructure and public welfare projects reviewed during a high-level meeting chaired by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari.
Held to assess progress across sectors in Jharsuguda district and the Brajrajnagar Assembly constituency, the meeting focused on health, connectivity, education, industry, irrigation, and flood control measures. Among the highlights was the announcement that the long-awaited Jharsuguda Heart Hospital will become fully operational by January 2026, significantly improving cardiac care in the western region of the state.
Discussions also included the proposed medical college by the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Foundation, the upgradation of the District Headquarters Hospital, and the urgent need to fill vacant doctor posts across government health facilities.
In the education and skill development sector, an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) will be established in Lakhanpur, while work on a railway overbridge in Belpahar is set to begin. The meeting also reviewed the status of road widening and strengthening work between Kumarbandh, Temporipada, and Rengali via the Rampela bridge, a project seen as critical for easing regional transport bottlenecks.
Officials committed to completing a crucial inter-district bridge connecting Puzharipali in Lakhanpur block with Jarimuli in Ambabhona block of Bargarh district within the stipulated timeline. Equally emphasized was the need to expedite the coal corridor project from MCL’s mining area to Belpahar Mahima Square, a key logistics initiative to boost coal evacuation and reduce local traffic congestion.
The meeting also prioritized reconstruction of flood-damaged infrastructure, especially roads and culverts affected by heavy rainfall in the past monsoon season. In Brajrajnagar, new irrigation projects and the construction of a ring road and embankment along the Ib River under the municipal limits were discussed as part of the flood mitigation and urban development strategy.
Minister Pujari stated that all the projects will be completed within their deadlines, with strict adherence to quality standards. “The government is fully committed to the comprehensive development of Jharsuguda district,” he said, adding that the ongoing projects will bring tangible benefits to the people of the region.
The review meeting saw the participation of Jharsuguda MLA Tankadhar Tripathy, top bureaucrats including Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh, Works Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh, Health Secretary S. Aswathy, Panchayati Raj Commissioner Girish S.N., Rural Development Secretary Yamini Sarangi, and senior officials from the Water Resources Department, Lift Irrigation Corporation, and the district administration.
