ANGUL: Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for an eco-luxury resort around 18 km from Angul’s Tikarpada.
The resort, Surjyabana, will come up on 30 acres of private land at an estimated cost of `135 crore. It is scheduled to be completed within two-and-a-half years.
Pradhan said the resort would generate employment opportunities and boost tourism in Angul, an industrial district endowed with rich natural resources and immense tourism potential.
The former Union minister said an open laboratory would also be set up alongside the resort, where educated local youth could receive training and improve their employment prospects. He urged the resort authorities to source organic food from nearby areas, thereby creating a market for local produce and benefiting farmers.
Pradhan referred to Kapilash, Hingula, the palaces at Talcher and the Prachinagada Jagannath Temple as testimonies to the region’s rich civilisation. He also said the Centre had allocated substantial funds for the development of Satkosia. Describing its natural beauty, he compared the region, known for its diverse flora, to Switzerland.
The programme was presided over by Surya Group managing director Biswajit Pattnaik and organised by its director Pritam Pattnaik. Dhenkanal MP Rudra Narayan Pany and MLAs Ashok Mohanty, Agasti Behera and Pratap Pradhan, among others, attended the event.
Earlier in the day, Pradhan inaugurated the Prajamandal Bhawan in Talcher, which was constructed with funds from the District Mineral Foundation.
