Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday hoisted the Tricolour at the exhibition ground in Bhubaneswar on the auspicious occasion of 76th Independence Day and elaborated on the evolution of the State since Independence in 1947.
Addressing the people of Odisha, the Chief Minister said, "In these 75 years, Odisha has seen growth in agriculture, health and education sector. And, a new era of the transformation of Odisha has now begun."
"As Indians, this is a moment of glory and pride for all of us. In these 75 years, Odisha has shown the way how to rise to the challenges. The State has become a major sports hub in the country. It thrived from a food deficit state to a food surplus state. It has also set an example on disaster management preparedness," said CM Naveen.
The achievements of Odisha have shown the path of development to others. Education for all is the State's focus. Transformation of schools has brought new hope for students, he said.
Nearly, 3000 foundations have been laid for rural infrastructure projects. Besides, around 70 lakh women have been empowered through SHGs in Odisha, said Patnaik.
Around 1 lakh children are studying in 315 model schools across Odisha. Also, 50 hostels have been set up for 5000 girl students in the model schools, he added.