Jajpur, Mar 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects worth more than Rs 19,600 crore in Chandikhole of Odisha' Jajpur district on Tuesday.

These projects encompass key sectors like road, rail, petroleum, natural gas.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that by the blessings of Lord Jagannath and Maa Birja, a new stream of development started flowing today in Jajpur and Odisha. Noting the Jayanti of former Odisha Chief Minister Late Biju Patnaik, the Prime Minister remembered his incomparable contribution to the nation and Odisha.

Highlighting the inauguration and foundation stone laying of mega development projects worth about Rs 20,000 crores in the sectors of petroleum, natural gas, atomic energy, roadways, railways and connectivity today, the Prime Minister said that it will boost industrial activities in the region and create new employment opportunities. He congratulated the people of Odisha for the development projects of today.

The Prime Minister put forward the government’s approach of taking care of the present needs of the nation while working for the resolution of Viksit Bharat. He mentioned the efforts for enhancing the capabilities of the Eastern states in the energy sector. Under the Urja Ganaga Yojana five big states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha, major projects are underway for the supply of the natural gas.

PM Modi inaugurated a 344 km long product pipeline from Paradip in Odisha to Haldia in West Bengal. He also inaugurated the Indian Oil Corporation Limited Mono Ethylene Glycol project in Paradip Refinery and 0.6 MMTPA LPG Import facility at Paradip which will bring a revolutionary change in the polyester industry of eastern India. This will also provide raw material to the textile park in Bhadrak and Paradip.

Underlining that today’s occasion is a symbol of the changing work culture in the country, the Prime Minister drew comparisons of the previous government which never took interest in completing the development projects with the present government which inaugurates the very projects on time whose foundation stones were laid. Referring to the development projects that were completed after 2014, the Prime Minister mentioned the Paradip Refinery which became a topic of discussion in 2002 but no work was accomplished till until the present government came to power in 2014. He also mentioned inaugurating the Paradip - Hyderabad Pipeline in Sangareddy, Telangana yesterday and the 500 km long crude oil pipeline from Haldia to Barauni in Arambagh, West Bengal three days ago.

Prime Minister Modi highlighted the central government making use of the abundance of natural resources in Eastern India for the development of Odisha and spoke about the desalination plant in Ganjam district that will treat almost 50 lakh litres of saline water everyday and make it suitable for drinking.

The Prime Minister said that the Central government is focussing on modern connectivity in Odisha so that local resources increase the economy of the state. The Prime Minister said that in the last 10 years, 3000 km long national highways, railway budget has been increased 12 fold. He stated that in order to improve Rail-Highway-Port connectivity, national highways are being expanded in Jajpur, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj, Khorda, Ganjam, Puri and Kendujhar. He said the new Angul Sukinda railway line will open up the development of Kalinga Nagar Industrial area.

Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan and Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti Bisheswar Tudu were, among others, present on the occasion.

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