Nabarangpur: The Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday laid the foundation stone for the much-awaited medical college in Nabarangpur district. The medical college and hospital, to be established on more than 50 acres of land at Patalaguda in Nabarangpur, will have 100 MBBS seats and 420 beds.
After its establishment, district residents will no longer need to go outside the district for advanced medical treatment; all modern healthcare facilities will be available within the district itself, the Chief Minister said.
Addressing a public gathering, Mohan Charan Majhi said the project marks a significant step in strengthening healthcare infrastructure in the region and reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to quality medical services.
He noted that within 20 months of assuming office, three new medical colleges in Jajpur, Kandhamal and Talcher have become operational, and similar institutions will soon come up in Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur and Bhadrak.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling remarked that while Odisha had only three government medical colleges three decades ago, the state is now moving toward opening medical colleges in every district as required, with nine such institutions planned for 2024–25.
Minister for ST & SC Development and School and Mass Education Nityananda Gond thanked the Chief Minister for fulfilling the long-standing demand for a medical college in Nabarangpur, stating that what could not be achieved for years had been accomplished within 18 months.
On the same occasion, the Chief Minister inaugurated the ‘Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana’, a scheme aimed at enabling economically weaker senior citizens and widows to have darshan of Lord Jagannath at the Jagannath Temple in Puri.
He said Lord Jagannath is the Lord of the Universe and there should be no barriers to His darshan, adding that his position as Chief Minister would find true meaning when every poor devotee can have darshan of Mahaprabhu without hindrance and shed tears of devotion.
The scheme was launched simultaneously from Nabarangpur, Bhadrak, Baripada, Sambalpur and Berhampur, with around 500 pilgrims from these districts proceeding to Puri under official supervision. The government has set a target to facilitate darshan for 5,000 eligible beneficiaries this year and more than one lakh over the next four years.
Senior citizens between 60 and 75 years from economically weaker sections and widows up to 75 years are being covered under the initiative, which provides AC bus travel, accommodation at Brundabati Niwas in Puri and arrangements for Mahaprasad.
Deputy Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Pravati Parida described the initiative as a dream project of the Chief Minister and said that visiting the Srimandir and climbing the Baisi Pahacha is a cherished aspiration for many Odias.
During the programme, the Chief Minister also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 177 development projects worth over ₹446 crore in the district, spanning sectors such as education, healthcare, roads, bridges, hostels, anganwadi centres and forest protection initiatives.
He asserted that although Nabarangpur is geographically distant from the state capital, development will never remain distant from the district, reiterating the government’s commitment to progress in education, healthcare, agriculture, connectivity, women’s empowerment and self-reliance.
Kit bags were distributed to beneficiaries of the ‘Shri Jagannath Darshan’ scheme, and assistance was extended to beneficiaries under construction workers’ welfare and social security schemes in the presence of MPs, MLAs and senior officials who attended the event both physically and virtually.
