Invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s influence on governance and welfare delivery, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday said “there is a little bit of Modi in everyone’s life” as he addressed a massive public gathering in Rairangpur to celebrate two years of the BJP government in Odisha and 12 years of the NDA government at the Centre.

 

The chief minister said the period since 2014 had been an “unparalleled era” in India’s development journey. Referring to the benefits of various central schemes, he said every section of society has gained significantly under Modi’s leadership.

 

Majhi described the occasion as a “golden moment” and a “glorious chapter” in Odisha’s history as President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and the chief minister shared the same stage in the President’s hometown.

 
 

He extended birthday greetings to President Murmu on her 68th birthday and said her journey from a remote tribal village in Mayurbhanj to the country’s highest constitutional office symbolised dedication, public service and faith in the democratic system.

 

Calling Murmu an embodiment of sacrifice, service and commitment, he said her life story has become a source of inspiration for women across the country. He prayed for her long life and happiness and noted that the Prime Minister’s presence had made the occasion even more special.

 

“Your journey from a remote tribal village to adorning the highest constitutional post of the country is no wonder; it is your hard work, dedicated public service and your complete faith in the constitutional system of the country. You are a great source of inspiration for women across the country,” Majhi said.

 

The chief minister also thanked Modi for what he termed his consistent support for Odisha, pointing out that the Prime Minister has visited the state eight times since the BJP assumed power in Odisha in June 2024. “Each time, he has come with affection and gifts of development for Odisha,” he said, adding that the Prime Minister’s support and goodwill are among the state’s greatest assets.

 

Showcasing his government’s achievements over the last two years, Majhi said Odisha has launched a series of welfare initiatives focused on women, farmers, students, senior citizens and vulnerable sections. “Inspired by the PM’s commitment, our government has undertaken several initiatives for the welfare of the people in the last two years that, as if, there is no tomorrow,” he said.

 

These initiatives include the Subhadra Yojana for women, Chief Minister Kanya Vivah Yojana, Kanya Sumangal Yojana, Kisan Samruddhi Yojana for farmers, Godavarish Mishra Adarsh Prathamika Vidyalaya Yojana for students, Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana for senior citizens and the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat health scheme in the state.

 

“Now our government has decided to make education free from kindergarten (KG) to postgraduate (PG) level in the state. Odisha is the first state in the country to take such a step. Reservations have been implemented for the socially and educationally backward classes, starting from general education to medical and technical education, which have been stagnant for many decades,” he said.

 

Emphasising industrialisation as a key pillar of the government’s development agenda, the chief minister said the momentum generated by the ‘Utkarsh Odisha – Make in Odisha’ initiative has triggered a “second industrial revolution” in the state. The government has so far inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 152 industrial projects involving investments worth Rs 3.11 trillion, creating approximately 250,000 employment opportunities.

 

He further claimed that more than 44,000 government jobs have been provided during the last two years and said industries are now being established in 29 of Odisha’s 30 districts, making the industrialisation drive inclusive and regionally balanced.

 

Expressing confidence in Odisha’s economic future, Majhi said the state is moving towards a stage where people would no longer have to migrate elsewhere in search of employment. Instead, he predicted, Odisha would witness reverse migration, with workers from other states coming to Odisha for jobs.

 

The chief minister highlighted the benefits of the “double-engine government”, referring to BJP administrations at both the Centre and the state. Responding to critics who question what Odisha has gained from this, Majhi listed major infrastructure investments, including railway projects worth Rs 90,000 crore and road projects worth Rs 40,000 crore.

 

He also cited port projects worth Rs 25,000 crore, a shipbuilding and ship-repair cluster worth Rs 25,000 crore, petrochemical investments worth Rs 80,000 crore at Paradip and the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri-Paradip Economic Corridor project valued at Rs 5,000 crore. He said the projects worth around Rs 50,000 crore launched and inaugurated during the programme reflect the scale of investment flowing into the state.

 

Majhi asserted that significant progress has been made over the past two years in education, healthcare, women’s empowerment, livelihoods and industrial development. He said Odisha had emerged as one of the preferred destinations for investors due to the government’s industry-friendly policies and vowed that efforts to achieve the goal of a prosperous Odisha by 2036 would continue unabated.

 

Referring to Modi’s recent participation in the G7 Summit, the chief minister said the Prime Minister’s international engagements demonstrated India’s growing global stature. “India is no longer standing at the end of the line. The country’s moment on the world stage has arrived,” he said.

 

The Odisha government would continue to draw inspiration from the Prime Minister’s leadership and work in tandem with the Centre to realise the vision of a developed Odisha and a developed India by 2047, Majhi added.