Keonjhar: Odisha will become one of the top five developed states in the country by 2036, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on Friday while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Gonasika–Keonjhar Festival here, outlining his government’s focus on rapid infrastructure growth, industrial expansion and cultural revival.
Majhi said the state government has already earmarked more than Rs 65,000 crore for key development projects, including major upgrades to road and rail connectivity across districts. Under Mission Power, he said the government intends to ensure that every village in Odisha has road access, electricity and piped drinking water by 2027.
“We have begun the journey toward a prosperous Odisha. A new era of development has started,” he said, adding that the state is witnessing strong investor interest.
The Chief Minister said that over the past seven months, Odisha has received investment proposals totalling Rs 17 lakh crore under the Utkarsa Odisha initiative, which is expected to create more than 13 lakh jobs. During the past eleven months, projects worth Rs 2.4 lakh crore have already been commissioned, potentially generating around 1.5 lakh employment opportunities.
Majhi announced that Keonjhar district will soon host a mega steel plant, positioning it alongside Rourkela and Jajpur as a major steel-producing hub. Plans are also underway to develop six-lane roads linking key mining and industrial regions, including a ring road in Barbil, as well as new economic zones that would convert the Keonjhar–Barbil–Joda belt into a major economic corridor.
Beyond infrastructure and industry, the Chief Minister stressed the importance of cultural identity and language. He said the state government has prioritised the use of Odia in official work so that governance remains accessible and rooted in local culture. Majhi also highlighted the cultural significance of Odisha’s 62 tribal communities, saying their heritage forms an essential part of the state’s social fabric.
He noted that the growing pride in tradition and heritage across India has further encouraged Odisha to strengthen its linguistic and cultural foundations. Festivals like the Gonasika–Keonjhar Festival, he said, help preserve art, literature, folklore and tourism while strengthening intergenerational links.
