JEYPORE: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday announced that the South Odisha Development Council would start functioning soon to ensure all-round development of the southern districts.
Attending the national-level tribal festival ‘Parab’ in Koraput as the chief guest on Sunday evening, the chief minister said the state government has undertaken several initiatives for the socio-economic growth of backward regions, with more development planned in the coming days.
“The state government has decided to operationalise the South Odisha Development Council very soon for further development of the region. A proposal to allocate Rs 200 crore for the council has been made. We hope the council will function inclusively, taking along all sections of people from tribal areas,” Majhi said.
The chief minister further said the government has earmarked Rs 160 crore to promote tourism, culture, heritage and traditions of Koraput district. He said boost to the tourism sector would also generate local employment opportunities in tribal areas.
Majhi lauded Koraput’s millet, Kalajeera rice, Kotpad Mirigani handloom and coffee, and assured that the government would take steps to further promote these products both within and outside the state. “The agriculture, traditions, history and culture of the tribal communities of Koraput are unique and must be preserved for future generations through sincere and collective efforts,” he said.
On the occasion, the chief minister laid foundation stones for 70 new development projects worth Rs 521.27 crore and inaugurated 16 projects worth Rs 23.94 crore across 14 blocks of the district.
Among others, Koraput MP Saptagiri Ulaka, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi, School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Minister Gokulananda Mallick, Pottangi MLA Ramchandra Kadam, Koraput MLA Raghuram Machha and district collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan were present. Earlier in the day, the chief minister visited the national-level Pallishree Mela and interacted with district officials on various developmental issues of Koraput.