BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 12 years in office as an “age of absolute transformation” for India, which has been marked by rapid economic growth, strong governance and inclusive development.
Addressing media-conference at Lok Seva Bhawan convention centre here in presence of Union minister of state for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, Majhi congratulated Modi for achieving the milestone as the longest serving elected prime minister of India and said the country has witnessed unprecedented development in infrastructure, welfare delivery, digital governance, energy security and national security under his leadership. Under PM Modi, India has emerged a confident nation with a global outlook, he said.
The chief minister said India has become the world’s fastest growing major economy despite global geopolitical uncertainties and has strengthened its position in renewable energy, manufacturing, digital infrastructure and strategic petroleum reserve. As per the recent agreement with the UAE, 30 million barrels of crude oil will be stored for India’s strategic petroleum reserve, a major portion of which will be stored at Chandikhol in Odisha, he said.
On the state’s progress under the double-engine government, Majhi said improved coordination with the Centre has accelerated the implementation of central schemes and boosted development across sectors. “After our government was formed in Odisha, we have been working at a fast pace to build a ‘Samruddha Odisha’ under the guidance of PM Modi. Earlier, due to lack of coordination between the state and Centre, central schemes were not being implemented properly,” the CM said.
Now, the benefits of every scheme are directly reaching the people,” the CM said.
He said the state received a record railway allocation of `10,928 crore this year, while rail projects worth nearly `90,000 crore are underway. Major infrastructure projects include a satellite port at Bahuda, a shipbuilding cluster in Kendrapara, the Capital Region Ring Road, a greenfield coastal highway and expansion of regional airports under the UDAN scheme.
In agriculture, over 34.5 lakh farmers are benefiting from PM-KISAN assistance while initiatives in millet cultivation, palm farming and fisheries have expanded livelihood opportunities. The chief minister also highlighted achievements in women’s empowerment, stating that over 23 lakh women in the state have become Lakhpati Didis.
Majhi said Odisha has made significant strides in housing, drinking water, healthcare and education. More than 4.8 lakh rural houses have been built in the past two years while Ayushman Bharat-Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana is providing health coverage to over 3 crore beneficiaries.
Expressing the state government’s commitment to building a Samruddha Odisha by 2036, Majhi said the state will play a key role in realising PM Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.