BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday laid foundation of projects worth Rs 2,200 crore virtually in Balasore district and inaugurated the Manmath Das and Manoj Das memorial at Sankhari village under Bhograi tehsil.
The chief minister also launched LABHA scheme at Nilagiri to benefit scheduled tribe people and distributed land rights certificates among residents of Remuna notified area council (NAC) in the district. Paying tributes to eminent historian Manmath Nath Das and his writer brother Manoj Das, the chief minister said they made the nation proud with their contributions which immortalised them. Naveen thanked their families for cooperating with the government in establishing the memorial. The Manmath-Manoj memorial has been established at a cost of Rs 16 crore.
The chief minister said the projects were launched based on proposals received by 5T chairman VK Pandian during his visit to the district. He also launched city bus service in Balasore town.
Terming it is a historic day for the people of Balasore, Tourism and Culture Minister Aswini Patra said the state government’s efforts to preserve the memory of the two great sons of the soil has made people glad. For the memorial houses the materials were collected from Bhubaneswar and Pondicherry and they will be of much help to researchers and litterateurs in the future, he added.
This apart, as National Science Day observance, the chief minister inaugurated science centres at Jeypore, Rayagada, Ghatagaon and Baripada. Besides, he laid foundation for science centres at Kalahandi, Boudh, Kendrapara, Jharsuguda, Gajapati, Jagatsinghpur and Nuapada. The projects will cost the state exchequer Rs 15 crore. The chief minister said without science there is no development. The chief minister also launched 133 mobile veterinary service vehicles procured at a cost of Rs 21.28 crore by the government.