Bhubaneswar/ Cuttack: The 70th Republic Day was celebrated with much gaiety and patriotic fervour across Odisha today. Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal unfurled the Tricolour and took the salute of the State-level Republic Day parade held at Mahatma Gandhi marg in Bhubaneswar while Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik attended the celebrations in Cuttack.
Addressing the people of the State, Patnaik said that Odisha has made tremendous progress on several fronts. All this has been possible due to cooperation from students, youths, women, farmers, labourers and others. Be it the Gurupriya bridge in Malkangiri or the Biju Expressway or the new medical colleges, all such developmental projects are the milestones of progress in the State.
"I am happy that electricity has reached all villages and 96 lakh families have been benefited. Odisha government has been successful in providing irrigation facilities to 8 lakh hectares of land and additional 10 lakh hectares will be irrigated soon," said Patnaik in his address.
The chief minister further lauded the recently launched KALIA scheme and stated that the programme has been appreciated by agricultural experts in the country. Over 12 lakh farmers in Odisha have been benefited under the KALIA scheme.
"I believe that KALIA scheme will bring a new revolution. I urge people of State to be part and partners of the development journey and assist the government in its mission for the formation of a new Odisha," Patnaik added.
Elaborate security arrangements were made for the Republic Day celebrations by Odisha Police today. nearly 54 contingents, 10 Tableaus and other cultural programmes were organised during the State-level parade held in Bhubaneswar. Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal took the salute of the parade in Bhubaneswar.
Similarly, Republic Day was also celebrated in different parts of Odisha. Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera attended the celebrations in Puri while Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick hoisted the national flag in Sambalpur today.