Modi Blitz in Jharsuguda; It Rains Projects

By Suman Rodrigues

TNI DIGITAL DESK, Jharsuguda: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth more than ₹60,000 crore in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district. The projects span telecommunications, railways, healthcare, higher education, skill training and rural housing.

Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the event, while several Union ministers and Chief Ministers of eight states, including Maharashtra’s Devendra Fadnavis, Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma and Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath, joined virtually.

Marking Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited’s (BSNL) silver jubilee, Modi launched its ‘Swadeshi’ 4G network and commissioned more than 97,500 towers at a cost of about ₹37,000 crore. Of these, more than 92,600 sites were built by BSNL using indigenous technology. The network will extend coverage to 26,700 previously unconnected villages, including 2,472 in Odisha. Many of these are in remote, border and left-wing extremism-affected areas.

The India-made network is cloud-based, upgrade-ready for 5G, and expected to serve more than 20 lakh new subscribers. The towers are powered by solar energy, creating the largest cluster of green telecom sites in India. Under the Digital Bharat Nidhi initiative, 29,000–30,000 villages will also be connected through the 100 per cent 4G saturation programme.

The Prime Minister dedicated the doubling of the 34-km Koraput–Baiguda rail line and the 82-km Manabar–Koraput–Gorapur section, built at a cost of ₹1,400 crore. He also inaugurated the 5-km Sambalpur–Sarla flyover, constructed at a cost of ₹273 crore, and laid the foundation stone for other projects aimed at improving passenger and freight movement.

Modi flagged off the Amrit Bharat Express between Berhampur in Odisha and Udhna in Surat district of Gujarat. The service is expected to improve affordable travel, support tourism and create job opportunities.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for upgrading MKCG Medical College in Berhampur and VIMSAR in Sambalpur into super-speciality hospitals. The new facilities will include trauma care units, dental colleges, maternal and child healthcare services, and additional beds.

He also announced the expansion of eight IITs across the country to create space for 10,000 more students over the next four years. Alongside, he launched state-level initiatives to boost technical education and skill development in Odisha.

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As part of the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana, Modi distributed 50,000 sanction orders for pucca houses to rural families. Beneficiaries include widows, people with disabilities, terminally ill patients and those affected by natural disasters.

During the programme, Modi described Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi as a “lokapriya (popular) and karmatha (hardworking)” leader. He said Odisha was progressing rapidly under the “double-engine government,” with both the Centre and the state working together. The Prime Minister also praised Majhi’s efforts in strengthening rural housing initiatives through schemes like the Subhadra Yojana, which supports more than one crore women with annual financial assistance.

Semiconductor park in Odisha
Modi announced that Odisha will get a semiconductor park along with two recently approved semiconductor units. Calling the state rich in natural resources, he said the coming decade would drive Odisha towards prosperity.

This was Modi’s sixth visit to Odisha in 15 months since the BJP formed the government in June 2024. His last visit to Jharsuguda was in September 2018 when he inaugurated the state’s second commercial airport.

Modi Slams Congress; Spares BJD

During his speech in Jharsuguda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised the Congress party, accusing it of running a “Loot-Tantra” (system of loot) during its rule. He held the party responsible for corruption and poor governance, saying that its policies had weakened India for decades.

Notably, Modi made no reference to the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) or its former chief minister Naveen Patnaik. The silence drew attention since the Prime Minister had recently spoken to Patnaik twice to enquire about his health after a medical surgery.

By keeping his focus firmly on the Congress, Modi avoided targeting the BJD, with which the BJP has maintained cordial ties in recent months.

 

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