Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for a series of development projects valued at over Rs 19,600 crore in Chandikhole, located in Odisha’s Jajpur district, at 3:30 pm on March 5. He will commence his journey by flying to Bhubaneswar from Telangana in a special Air Force plane, arriving at Biju Patnaik International Airport in the afternoon. From there, he will proceed to Chandikhole via helicopter to initiate various projects spanning the Oil and Gas, Railways, Road, Transport & Highways, and Atomic Energy sectors.
Among the projects slated for inauguration is the Mono Ethylene Glycol project by Indian Oil Corporation Limited at the Paradip Refinery, aimed at reducing India’s import reliance. Additionally, Modi will inaugurate a 344-km-long product pipeline from Paradip in Odisha to Haldia in West Bengal, along with a 0.6 MMTPA LPG Import facility at Paradip, intended to bolster import infrastructure on India’s eastern coast.
The Prime Minister will also dedicate four-laning initiatives for several sections of national highways, including Singhara to Binjabahal, Binjabahal to Tileibani, Balasore-Jharpokharia, and Tangi-Bhubaneswar. Furthermore, he will lay the foundation stone for the eight-laning of the Chandikhole-Paradip Section.
In the railway sector, Modi will inaugurate the 162-km Bansapani-Daitari-Tomka-Jakhapura rail line, which is anticipated to enhance transportation capacity and facilitate the efficient movement of iron and manganese ore from Keonjhar District to nearby ports and steel plants, thereby bolstering regional economic growth. Other railway projects to be initiated include the CONCOR Container Depot at Kalinga Nagar and the Electric Loco Periodical Overhauling Workshop at Narla, among others.
Moreover, the Prime Minister will inaugurate a 5 MLD capacity seawater desalination plant at Odisha Sands Complex of IREL(I) Ltd., constructed as part of the application of indigenous desalination technologies developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
Following his engagements in Chandikhole, Modi will address a public meeting in the area, which is considered a stronghold of the ruling BJD. Subsequently, he will return to Bhubaneswar before departing for Kolkata.
This visit marks Modi’s second tour to Odisha within a month, following his visit to Sambalpur on February 3, during which he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects exceeding Rs 68,000 crore and launched the BJP’s campaign in the state with a rally at Remed in the western Odisha town.