Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday inaugurated and laid foundation-stones of a slew projects in his home district, Ganjam, ahead of the panchayat elections.
Patnaik first inaugurated the newly-commissioned Saraf Titanium Park (SEZ), which is considered as India’s first titanium plant. Thereafter, he flew to the Tata Steel SEZ at Gopalpur where he inaugurated a ferrochrome plant and a manufacturing facility of unmanned target systems of sure safety solutions.
Then, he flew to Ankushpur under Kukudakhndi block where he broke ground for the much-awaited Brahmapur-Urban Water Supply Project at Jagadalpur. At around 1 pm, the Chief Minister addressed a public meeting at the Ankushpur OUAT ground band tried to win the heart of the people.
Former Deputy Speaker in the State Assembly and senior BJP leader Rama Chandra Panda, who is considered as the brain child of this mega 415-crore Janabili water supply project, expressed his felicity for launching of construction of the project. The CM had laid foundation stone on October 3, 2013.
The project envisages drawing of water from Janibili diversion wire, 47 km from here, through underground pipes and setting up of a water treatment plant of 75 million litre per day (mld), sources said.
From Ankushpur, Pattnaik went to Rangailunda where he laid the foundation stone of expansion and widening project of Rangailunda Airstrip.
The CM also laid foundation stones for Raghunathpur-Alipur and Ratanpur-Haladiapadar sections of Brahmapur-Ring Road Project, Rock Garden at village Ambapua, Eco-Retreat Hub Project at Gopalpur-on-Sea, new administrative building of the BDA and Biju Pattnaik Sanskrit Bhavan building.
The district administration made adequate security arrangements at strategic locations to avoid any untoward incidents. At some places, it was found that police personnel outnumbered the public.
Nearly a dozen BJP workers of Kukudakhandi and Nimakhandi areas were reportedly detained by police ahead of the CM’s visit.