States » EastPosted at: Nov 6 2026 6:33PM


Odisha CM unveils Rs 1,292-crore development package for home district

Bhubaneswar, 6 November: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday unveiled a Rs 1,292-crore development package for his home district Keonjhar, launching 330 projects spanning education, healthcare, technology and infrastructure.
The package comprises 198 completed projects worth Rs 412 crore, which were inaugurated, and foundation stones for 132 new projects involving an investment of over Rs 880 crore.
A major component of the initiative is the third phase of the Godabarish Mishra Model Primary School Scheme, under which foundation stones were laid for 630 schools across Odisha, including 35 in Keonjhar. The schools will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 4,000 crore.
The state government has set a target of developing 2,200 model primary schools between 2025-26 and 2028-29 at an outlay of Rs 12,000 crore. Each school will come up on at least five acres, equipped with modern classrooms, digital learning facilities and sports infrastructure. The scheme envisages upgrading one primary school in every panchayat.
Majhi also inaugurated the southern campus of Dharanidhar University, built at a cost of Rs 14 crore, and laid the foundation stone for a 15-storey Tech-Business Park. The proposed facility, spread over 5.51 acres and estimated to cost Rs 237 crore, is expected to generate employment opportunities for youths in northern Odisha.
In a major healthcare initiative, he inaugurated Odisha's first indigenous technology-based Preventive Cancer Screening Centre at Dharanidhar Medical College. Established with Rs 6 crore in District Mineral Foundation (DMF) support, the centre will provide screening services free of cost.
He also laid the foundation stones for a seven-storey dental college costing Rs 58.40 crore and a 10-storey nursing college estimated at Rs 63 crore. A government pharmacy college will also be set up in Keonjhar, he announced.
Other facilities inaugurated included a maternal and child healthcare department, a modular operation theatre complex, a multi-utility centre, a police outpost and a 30-person police barrack.
Addressing the gathering, Majhi said the model school initiative was conceived during his tenure as Keonjhar MLA after he identified shortcomings in the quality of primary education. He added that 28,639 teachers had been recruited across the state over the past two and a half years.
The Chief Minister also distributed National Common Mobility Cards to Dharanidhar University students to facilitate free bus travel. Besides, 23 ambulances and 26 sanitation vehicles and equipment were provided to the district and three urban local bodies with DMF support.
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Tags: #Odisha CM unveils Rs 1#292-crore development package for home district
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