By PTI

Copyright india

Modi Odisha Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone and inaugurated development projects worth over Rs 50000 crore across telecommunications railways higher education healthcare skill development and rural housing sectors.
The prime minister laid the foundation stone for Rs 11000 crore infrastructure expansion projects in eight IITs — Tirupati Palakkad Bhilai Jammu Dharwad Jodhpur Patna and Indore — in order to increase 12000 seats over the next four years.
Modi laid the foundation stone for the construction of a rail flyover between Sambalpur City and Sarala at an investment of Rs 273 crore and for the setting up of a semiconductor and electronic system design and manufacturing (ESDM) park in collaboration with IIT-Bhubaneswar.
The PM launched the MERITE (Multidisciplinary Education and Research Improvement in Technical Education) scheme designed to improve quality equity research and innovation in 275 state engineering and polytechnic institutions across the country.
He also launched Odisha Skill Development Project Phase-II which will establish world skill centres at an investment of Rs 1979 crore in Sambalpur and Berhampur covering emerging sectors such as agritech renewable energy retail marine and hospitality.
Five ITIs will be upgraded into ‘Utkarsh ITIs’ 25 ITIs will be developed as Centres of Excellence while a new Precision Engineering Building will provide advanced technical training.
To enhance digital education in the state the PM dedicated Wi-Fi facilities across 130 higher education institutions at a cost of Rs 90 crore providing free daily data access to benefit more than 2.5 lakh students.
The PM also unveiled the master plan for the upgrade of MKCG Medical College in Berhampur and VIMSAR in Sambhalpur into world-class super-speciality hospitals at an investment of Rs 3000 crore.
The upgraded facilities will include enhanced bed capacity trauma care units dental colleges maternal and child care services and expanded academic infrastructure ensuring comprehensive health services for the people of Odisha.
He flagged off the Amrit Bharat Express connecting Berhampur with Udhna in Gujarat’s Surat district.
Modi also dedicated to the nation the doubling of the 34-km Koraput–Baiguda rail line and the 82-km Manabar–Koraput–Gorapur section built at a cost of Rs 1400 crore.
During the day he commissioned more than 97500 4G telecom towers built with BSNL’s ‘swadeshi’ technology at a cost of Rs 37000 crore.
In addition the PM also distributed sanction orders to 50000 beneficiaries under the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana under which pucca houses and financial assistance are given to vulnerable rural families including persons with disabilities widows individuals suffering from terminal illness and victims of natural calamities.
This was the prime ministers sixth visit to Odisha since the BJP came to power in the state in June 2024.
(Only the headline has been reworked by India.com staff. Copy comes from an agency feed)