PM Modi Launches Rs 50,000 Crore Development Initiative in Odisha: Education, Healthcare and Infrastructure Projects

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for development projects worth over Rs 50,000 crore in Odisha, spanning multiple sectors including telecommunications, railways, higher education, healthcare, skill development, and rural housing.

The prime minister initiated infrastructure expansion projects valued at Rs 11,000 crore across eight Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) - in Tirupati, Palakkad, Bhilai, Jammu, Dharwad, Jodhpur, Patna and Indore - which will increase student capacity by 12,000 seats over the next four years.

PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for a rail flyover between Sambalpur City and Sarala requiring an investment of Rs 273 crore, along with a semiconductor and electronic system design and manufacturing park to be established in collaboration with IIT-Bhubaneswar.

On social media, Modi emphasized that the double-engine government remains committed to accelerating development in Odisha while addressing attendees at the launch event in Jharsuguda.

During the event, the Prime Minister launched the MERITE (Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education) scheme, designed to enhance quality, equity, research, and innovation across 275 state engineering and polytechnic institutions nationwide.

The Odisha Skill Development Project Phase-II was also launched, which will establish world skill centres in Sambalpur and Berhampur with an investment of Rs 1,979 crore. These centers will focus on emerging sectors such as agritech, renewable energy, retail, marine, and hospitality.

Five Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) will be upgraded to 'Utkarsh ITIs,' while 25 ITIs will be developed as Centres of Excellence. Additionally, a new Precision Engineering Building will provide advanced technical training opportunities.

To boost digital education infrastructure, the PM dedicated Wi-Fi facilities across 130 higher education institutions at a cost of Rs 90 crore, providing free daily data access to benefit more than 2.5 lakh students.

The prime minister also unveiled master plans for upgrading MKCG Medical College in Berhampur and VIMSAR in Sambhalpur into world-class super-specialty hospitals with an investment of Rs 3,000 crore. These upgraded facilities will feature enhanced bed capacity, trauma care units, dental colleges, maternal and child care services, and expanded academic infrastructure.

Modi flagged off the Amrit Bharat Express connecting Berhampur with Udhna in Gujarat's Surat district and dedicated to the nation the doubled 34-km Koraput-Baiguda rail line and the 82-km Manabar-Koraput-Gorapur section, built at a cost of Rs 1,400 crore.

During his visit, the PM commissioned more than 97,500 4G telecom towers built with BSNL's 'swadeshi' technology at a cost of Rs 37,000 crore.

Additionally, PM Modi distributed sanction orders to 50,000 beneficiaries under the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana, which provides pucca houses and financial assistance to vulnerable rural families, including persons with disabilities, widows, individuals suffering from terminal illness, and victims of natural calamities.

This marked the prime minister's sixth visit to Odisha since the BJP came to power in the state in June 2024.