Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday virtually launched the BJP campaign in Odisha for the 2019 polls by giving a call for making a new Odisha with new energy.
Addressing a public meeting here at the NISER stadium near Khurda during his three-hour visit to Odisha, Modi said, “We will change Odisha’s fate and take it on the path of development towards a new future.” However, there was a perceptible change in Prime Minister’s address today, unlike the last time when he had launched a frontal attack on chief minister Naveen Patnaik and ruling Biju Janata Dal.
In Bhubaneswar, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation of Paradip Hyderabad Pipeline Product Project (PHPL) and Bokaro-Angul section of Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Gas Pipeline Project (PM Urja Ganga).
Modi, in his address, exposed infrastructure deficiencies in health, education and other sectors and State Government’s failure to provide drinking water, irrigation facilities to the farmers. He also cited issues of malnourishment among children, migration, chit fund scam as well as percentage (PC) culture. But he refrained from making a direct attack on Naveen Patnaik or the BJD.
“Why is Odisha lagging behind in the swachhata drive compared to other states? Why are youths leaving Odisha to neighbouring states; why is half of post of doctors vacant in the State and why half of people Odisha do not get drinking water,” Modi asked and lambasted the Government over the prevalence of largescale corruption in all spheres.
“From chit fund to PC culture, there is corruption and who is protecting the culprits,” Modi asked and criticised the government for not accepting Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana which he said prevented people of Odisha from getting health coverage in all big hospitals across the country. His focus, however, was firmly on the development agenda of NDA Government as he listed out the schemes and programmes launched by the Centre since 2014.
Earlier, he dedicated IIT, Bhubaneswar to the nation for which Rs 1270 crore has been spent in presence of Governor prof Ganeshi Lal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He also laid foundation stones for projects worth over Rs 14,000 cr and said his government is fully committed to Odisha's overall development.
"Several projects have been launched for the development of Odisha and I assure you
that this work will continue in future," Modi said as he inaugurated the new and sprawling campus of IIT Bhubaneswar at Arugul on the outskirts of the Capital built at a cost of Rs 1,260 crore on a whopping 936-acre land. "This institute will not only produce high quality engineers and entrepreneurs for the nation and the world but will pave way for Odisha's progress," he said and added that the institute will prove to be a centre of dreams for Odisha's youth and provide employment to many.
Besides, the Prime Minister also dedicated a postage stamp and a commemorative coin of Rs 200 featuring the historic Paika Rebellion (1817) against the British rule on the occasion of its bicentenary
celebration. He also inaugurated the Buxi Jagabandhu Chair at Utkal University in memory of the
Paika Rebellion, laid foundation stone of a permanent campus of Indian Institute of Science and Education Research (IISER) in Berhampur.
Modi also laid foundation stone of a gas pipeline from Paradip to Hyderabad at a projected cost of
Rs 3,800 crore and another from Angul to Bokaro in Jharkhand at a cost of Rs 3,437 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganja Yojana. The PM inaugurated the new 100-bed ESI Hospital in Bhubaneswar and laid foundation stone for construction of six lanes of the National Highway-16 and four lanes of NH-4 between Cuttack and Angul.
The Prime Minister arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport at about 1 pm where he was received by Governor Ganeshi Lal, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram. On behalf of the Odisha government, Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera welcomed the Prime Minister. From the airport, Modi flew to IIT-Bhubaneswar campus at Argul where he was received by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.