PM Modi In Odisha: Slew Of Projects Worth Rs 14,523 crore Unveiled

Bhubaneswar: Amid tight security, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bhubaneswar today to launch a slew of projects worth Rs 14,523 crore related to various sectors. He was welcomed by Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Secretary AP Padhi, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram, State Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera, Bhubaneswar Mayor Ananta Jena and other leaders after he reached at the Bhubaneswar Airport at around 1 PM.

The PM flied to IIT Bhubaneswar in a chopper to inaugurate the new campus in Argul built at a cost of Rs 1260 crore, and laid foundation stone for Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) and unveiled projects worth Rs 14,523 crore through video conferencing.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, Governor Ganeshi Lal and Union Ministers Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan are among others who have accompanied the PM to grace the ceremony.

Addressing students of the IIT, CM Naveen said, "This is one of the leading institutions of India in Science & Technology. And the students coming from across the country are the best brains of the world. Fulfill your dreams and help the nation grow. Wherever you go, a piece of Bhubaneswar will always be with you."

Paying tribute to Buxi Jagabandhu, CM Naveen said, "I will urge the Centre to run a train in the name of Buxi Jagabandhu."

Modi laid foundation stones of the proposed Paradip-Hyderabad pipeline project of Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) and Bokaro-Angul gas pipeline project. The total expenditure for the Paradip-Hyderabad pipeline project is estimated to be around Rs 3,338 crore, while Bokaro pipeline estimated at a projected cost of 3,437 crore under the Urja Ganga Yojana.

PM Modi then released a postage stamp and a commemorative coin on the bicentenary of Paika Rebellion, an armed uprising against the British East India Company's rule in Odisha in 1817.

This apart, he declared the Buxi Jagabandhu chair (research laboratory) in Utkal university open in presence of the varsity Vice-Chancellor Soumendra Mohan Patnaik.

Besides, Modi dedicated the new 100-bed upgraded ward of the ESIC Hospital in Bhubaneswar built at a cost Rs 73.5 crore, to the people of Odisha. The PM also the foundation stone lay the foundation stone of the construction of six lanes of the National Highway-16 and four-lane stretch of National Highway-4 between Cuttack and Angul. He also inaugurated an archaeological museum at Lalitgiri.

Addressing the IIT students, PM Modi said, "I got the opportunity to dedicate IIT Bhubaneswar to the youth, and this grand campus will not only be a center of dreams for the youth of Odisha but will also provide employment opportunities."

"The Centre is committed to all-round development of Odisha, strengthen its capacity as a startup hub and bring revolutionary changes in healthcare sector," said Modi at IIT Bhubaneswar, adding that the institution will help shape high-tech industrial development in Odisha.

At around 3 PM, Modi addressed a public gathering at NISER stadium in Barunei, Khurda.