Rairangpur: President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched and inaugurated development projects worth more than Rs 47,600 crore in Odisha during a special programme held at Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj district to mark the completion of two years of the state government.

The President and the Prime Minister jointly unveiled a total of 72 projects spanning key sectors such as energy, transportation, industrial infrastructure, irrigation, healthcare, education, tourism and urban development.

Among the major projects for which foundation stones were laid are the 600 MW Upper Indravati Pumped Storage Project, the Stage-II expansion of the IB Thermal Power Station comprising two 660 MW units, and the Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL) project at Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda district.

Several important infrastructure initiatives also received a boost with the laying of foundation stones for a 300-tonne-per-day Municipal Solid Waste-based Compressed Biogas Plant in Bhubaneswar, a new bridge over the Kathajodi River connecting Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, the widening and strengthening of the Dhalpur-Harbhanga Road in Boudh district, and the four-laning of a section of National Highway-353 from Nuapada to Ghatipada.

In the irrigation and education sectors, the Kusumdihi Megalift Irrigation Project, an IGNOU Regional Centre at Rairangpur and an Indoor Badminton Complex were among the projects launched during the event.

The dignitaries also inaugurated several completed projects, including a 300-bed District Headquarters Hospital in Boudh, 24 Atal Bus Stands and nine Automated Testing Stations across the state. Other inaugurated projects included the Nayagarh Town Bypass on NH-57, the underground pipeline component of the Kusumi Smart Irrigation Project, a Sports Complex and a Tribal Research Centre at Rairangpur.

In a significant boost to railway infrastructure, President Murmu dedicated two railway projects worth over Rs 732 crore to the nation. Developed under the jurisdiction of the East Coast Railway, the projects are expected to enhance rail capacity, improve operational efficiency and strengthen freight and passenger connectivity across Odisha.

One of the projects, the Jakhapura–Jajpur Keonjhar Road–Baitarani Road multi-tracking project, was completed at a cost of Rs 323 crore. The 19-km stretch forms part of the larger Bhadrak–Nergundi multi-tracking project and is aimed at easing congestion on the busy Howrah–Chennai main line.

The second railway project, the Hindol Road–Meramandali multi-tracking project, was completed at a cost of ₹409 crore over a 27-km stretch. Part of the Budhapank–Salegaon multi-tracking project, it is expected to improve train handling capacity, eliminate operational bottlenecks and facilitate smoother movement of coal, steel, power-sector inputs and other industrial commodities.

The projects launched and inaugurated during the programme are expected to strengthen infrastructure, improve connectivity, enhance energy security and create employment opportunities, particularly in Odisha’s tribal and rural regions. The event formed part of the state government's celebrations marking two years in office under the theme “Vikas ra Dhara, Odisha Sara.”