BERHAMPUR: A day after inaugurating projects in drought-hit Kalahandi district, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday laid foundation stones and inaugurated several projects in Ganjam district.
During his three-and-half-hour whirlwind visit of the district, Naveen inaugurated a fire station at Rambha, LV Prasad Eye Institute at Ambapua on the outskirts of Berhampur, a skill development camp at Beguniapada and a block-level model school at Jorou Chowk in Soroda.
He also laid foundation stones for Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana at Rambha and safe drinking water projects at Beguniapada, which is likely to benefit 60 villages under Kabisuryanagar, Beguniapada and Purusottompur blocks.
Addressing a gathering at Beguniapada, Naveen said several schemes for the benefit of people have already been launched and many more are in the pipeline. Steps have also been taken to provide employment to 10 lakh youths in the State through different service provider companies and training in this regard has already started.
Provision of safe drinking water to all the villages is the priority of the Government, Naveen said.
At Soroda, though many physically challenged persons were deprived of meeting the Chief Minister, he handed over a wheelchair to a physically challenged woman and an incentive of `10,000 to a beneficiary who completed his house under Indira Awas Yojana in the stipulated time.
At Soroda, two Congress councillors, Renu Behera and Laxmi Jena, besides Congress Sarpanchs of Gajalbadi and Kulangi, joined BJD in the presence of Naveen.
Among others, Ministers Bikram Kesari Arukh, Debi Prasad Mishra, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, MP Ladu Kishor Swain and most of the MLAs of Ganjam accompanied the Chief Minister. Elaborate police arrangements were made for the Chief Minister’s visit.