CM Majhi launches and lays foundation stones for 50 development projects worth Rs 960 Crore, inaugurates Doppler Weather Radar in Sambalpur

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Bhubaneswar/Sambalpur: During his visit to Sambalpur today, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched multiple development projects for the people of the district. At a grand ceremony held at Gangadhar Meher University, Sambalpur, the CM inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 50 significant development projects worth approximately Rs 960 crore.

Majhi also launched a state-of-the-art ‘Make in India’ Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) to enhance disaster management capabilities for Sambalpur and the entire Western Odisha region.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister stated that Sambalpur is a symbol of the art, culture, and traditions of Western Odisha and serves as a key hub in the State Government’s development journey towards the goal of building a ‘Prosperous Odisha 2036′.

At the beginning of his address, he paid tribute to Maa Samaleswari, Veer Surendra Sai, Martyr Madho Singh, Chhabil Sai, Saint-poet Bhima Bhoi, and Swabhaba kabi Gangadhar Meher.

The CM remarked that the Sambalpuri language, culture, music, and sarees are the pride of the region’s identity. The projects worth Rs 960 crore, for which inaugurations and foundation stone-laying ceremonies were held today, comprise the dedication of 15 completed projects worth Rs 133.47 crore and the laying of foundation stones for 35 new projects worth Rs 825.83 crore. This includes allocations for health, rural development (Rs 60.50 crore for Kuchinda), sports (Rs 74.72 crore), and roads and buildings (Rs 585 crore), as well as water resources projects worth Rs 220.56 crore for mega lift irrigation and Rs 8.88 crore for minor irrigation.

The Chief Minister noted that in January 2026, he had inaugurated projects worth Rs 948 crore along with the launch of 50 electric buses. An outlay of Rs 238.14 crore has been made for the Ainthapali bus terminal and its maintenance for a period of 10 years. To provide a permanent solution to the city’s water crisis and jaundice issues, 100 million litres of pure water will be supplied to 41 wards through a Rs 450 crore ‘Drink from Tap’ project under AMRUT 2.0. Furthermore, expansion work on the Burla and Hirakud Ring Roads and the Remed-Hirakud four-lane road is progressing rapidly.

Developmental works worth approximately Rs 1,910 crore have been undertaken for Sambalpur within this single year, up to September.

To make the administration more people-centric, the first state-level Chief Minister’s grievance hearing outside Bhubaneswar was also held in Sambalpur.

Highlighting industrial development and employment in Western Odisha, the Chief Minister stated that projects worth Rs 40,000 crore for Hindalco’s expansion at Lapanga and Rs 32,000 crore by JSW-JFE Steel at Rengali are being implemented. In addition, the Krushi Bhawan, a girls’ hostel, and the Sambalpur Football Academy are being modernized, and a ‘Hirakud Dam Master Plan’ is being formulated.

The State Government aims to transform Odisha into a $500 billion economy by 2036 (the centenary year) and a $1.5 trillion economy by 2047.

Emphasizing women’s empowerment, he stated that women are being uplifted through schemes like ‘Subhadra’, ‘Mukhyamantri Kanya Bibaha’, and ‘Kanya Sumangala’, with 40 percent of the state budget being allocated for women.

Highlighting the success of the ‘double-engine’ government (Centre and State), the Chief Minister noted that Odisha has received projects worth Rs 90,000 crore for railways, Rs 40,000 crore for roads, Rs 25,000 crore for ports, and Rs 25,000 crore for shipbuilding.

Projects such as the Rs 1,521-crore four-lane bypass in Sambalpur, the Rs 1,700-crore expansion of VIMSAR, a Rs 100-crore Aqua Park, and the Rs 100-crore ‘Samalei Phase-2’ initiative have been expedited.

He praised the Central Government’s respect for culture, highlighting the conferral of the Padma Shri award upon three creators and artists associated with the song ‘Rangabati’ under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He urged the public to participate in initiatives such as the month-long ‘Seba Sankalp Abhiyan’ (Pledge of Service campaign), ‘Aashirbadar Deepa’ (Lamp of Blessings), and ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ (A Tree in Mother’s Name) on the occasion of the Prime Minister’s 76th birthday and Vishwakarma Puja.

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The Chief Minister also appealed to the gathering to light lamps on the Prime Minister’s birthday and pray for his long and healthy life. In a special statement to the media, the Chief Minister said that the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) installed at Sambalpur holds special regional significance, as it has brought a vast area of ​​Odisha under the ambit of the weather forecasting system.

He noted that this is the state’s third Doppler radar, following those at Paradip and Gopalpur.

This round-the-clock operational radar can provide accurate data within a 250-kilometer radius and forecast weather movements up to a distance of 450 kilometers. This will benefit 13 districts—Sambalpur, Baragada, Jharsuguda, Sundaragada, Debagada, Subarnapur, Balangir, Boudh, Nuapada, Anugola, Kalahandi, Kendujhar, and Dhenkanal—as well as certain areas in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

Farmers across the entire Mahanadi basin, including those in Baragada (known as the ‘Rice Bowl’ of Odisha), will significantly benefit from early warnings regarding pre-monsoon thunderstorms, lightning strikes, and hailstorms.

By estimating rainfall at a 150-meter resolution every 10 minutes, this radar will strengthen the management of water inflow into the Hirakud Reservoir.

Additionally, it will facilitate proactive measures in sectors such as power, industry, transportation, and grid operations. The Chief Minister announced that the government is establishing a ‘technology-driven pro-active disaster management system’ and that Doppler radars will also be installed in Baleshwar, Bhubaneswar, and Puri in the near future.

Speaking via a virtual message during the ceremony, Union Minister of Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh stated that the Doppler radar inaugurated at Sambalpur represents a major success and a milestone for our weather forecasting system.

Since 2014, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and space science have been accorded the highest priority and recognition.

Today, India is extending a helping hand by providing weather forecasts and data not only to its own nation but also to neighboring countries.

The Union Minister further announced that another 40 Doppler radars would be installed across the country in the near future, enabling accurate weather forecasting for every corner of Odisha.

He remarked that Odisha’s emergence as a climate-resilient state is a matter of pride and glory for us all.

In his address, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari stated that the installation of the Doppler weather radar in Western Odisha has fulfilled a long-standing demand and need of the local people.

He highlighted that the Odisha Government has adopted a ‘Zero Casualty’ policy to further strengthen disaster preparedness and early warning systems. With this radar now operational in Sambalpur, farmers, the general public, and disaster mitigation teams across 13 districts of Western Odisha—not just Sambalpur—will be able to receive accurate information regarding lightning, heavy rainfall, and storms well in advance.

Pujari informed that new Doppler radars would be installed in Balasore, Bhubaneswar, and Puri in the near future, bringing the entire state under a secure and technology-driven disaster management system.

Also Read: Odisha CM Mohan Majhi Extends ‘Nuakhai’ Greetings

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