New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Taking part in the ‘Odisha Parba 2024’ in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Centre will ensure Odisha becomes one of the most progressed and empowered state in the country by 2036. Odisha is going to celebrate its centenary foundation day in 2036.

Modi said Odisha has a great potential in port sector. Ports like Dhamra Port, Gopalpur Port, Astaranga Port, Palur Port and Subarnarekha Port will be developed and export businesses will be encouraged.

He added the steel and mining sector will also be developed in Odisha. 

Efforts are also being made to ensure market linkage for agricultural products like cashew, jute and turmeric and more farmers reap the benefits.

Odisha should be a brand in seafood and there is lots of potential for development in the sector, he said.

The Government is committed to better the ease of doing business in Odisha, the Prime Minister emphasised. 

Modi remembered and paid tribute to Swabhaba Kabi Gangadhara Meher on his birth centenary. Remembering Bhakta Dasia Bauri, Bhakta Salabega and Atibadi Jagannath Das, the Prime Minister said Odisha has been the land of saints and luminaries.

Mentioning the Sarala Bhagabat, Modi said the Odia poets have done a remarkable work by spreading the scriptures among common household and connecting people with the thoughts of saints.

The Prime Minister invoked Santh Kabi Bhima Bhoi’s popular quote ‘Mo Jibana Pachhe Narke Padithau, Jagat Uddhar Hau’ and said Odisha has served the country and humankind for centuries.

Modi proposed to celebrate Balijatra Divas, Odissi Divas to celebrate Odisha’s culture on the national and international platforms. Similarly, new traditions should be set to celebrate the tribal culture of the State.

The Odisha Parba can be a medium to connect us to the roots, he suggested.