THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, JANUARY 13, 2026

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday gave a massive push to infrastructure and social development in Keonjhar by inaugurating and laying foundation stones for 71 projects worth over Rs 1,900 crore, signalling a transformative phase for the mineral-rich district.

The Chief Minister laid the foundation stones for 35 projects involving an investment of Rs 1,708 crore and inaugurated 36 completed projects worth around Rs 194 crore during a district-level programme. The wide-ranging initiatives span critical sectors such as education, healthcare, irrigation, road infrastructure, tourism, skill development and urban amenities, reflecting a comprehensive approach to regional growth.

The projects include the construction and upgradation of schools and hostels, irrigation facilities, parking zones, roads, renovated ponds, tourism infrastructure, libraries, career counselling centres, primary health centres and Anganwadi buildings across Keonjhar district. As announced earlier, the foundation stone for a Regional Plant Resource Centre was laid with an investment of Rs 50 crore, aimed at strengthening biodiversity conservation and research in the region.

In a significant step towards strengthening early childhood care, foundation stones were laid for 147 model Anganwadi centres at a cost of Rs 38.22 crore. Sports infrastructure also received a boost with the laying of foundation stones for block-level stadiums in six blocks, involving an investment of Rs 101 crore.

Further strengthening educational and training infrastructure, 104 additional classrooms, ICT labs and boundary walls were inaugurated at various locations at a cost of Rs 21.50 crore. A Nicholson Forest Training School was established at Champua with an investment of Rs 14 crore, while the DMF Khani Shakti skill training centre, aimed at enhancing employability of local youth in mining-affected areas, was inaugurated at a cost of Rs 9.60 crore.

Referring to the Maa Tarini Temple Development Project, Chief Minister Majhi said that ever since its foundation stone was laid, a “rocket engine has been added to the double-engine development vehicle of Keonjhar,” underscoring the momentum gained by the district in recent years.

The Chief Minister said Keonjhar is poised to play an even greater role in Odisha’s economic growth as a major steel hub. He announced that most roads in the district will be upgraded to six lanes and a ring road will be constructed in Barbil to ease traffic congestion and support industrial expansion. Majhi expressed confidence that within the next three to four years, Keonjhar would emerge as one of the leading districts of the state.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to balanced regional development, the Chief Minister said he has consistently raised concerns over regional imbalance since 2000, both inside and outside the Assembly, noting that his own district had suffered from neglect in the past. He said that immediately after assuming office, the government constituted task forces for the Northern Odisha Development Council and the Southern Odisha Development Council to address long-standing regional disparities.

 “Once the reports are received, both councils will be made fully functional,” Majhi added, reaffirming his government’s resolve to ensure inclusive and equitable development across Odisha.