Bhubaneswar, June 30: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said that BJP's landslide victory in the recently concluded twin polls in the state is not alone of the saffron party but is dedicated to 4.5 crore people of Odisha and Lord Jagannath.
Addressing a mass gathering in BJP's victory celebration ceremony at Exhibition Ground, Pradhan said that Odisha is now the focal point of Indian politics as there are three impactful Union Ministers from the state in Modi’s Cabinet.
He also congratulated Team India for the historic win over South Africa in a nail-biting final of the ICC T20 World Cup final.
Speaking at the event, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that in the next five years, new projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore will come to Odisha.
During Narendra Modi's tenure, Odisha has consistently received Rs 10,000 crore in railway funds for the past three years. In contrast, the state received only Rs 800 crore in railway funds 10 years ago. Odisha's railway projects had been neglected for years, but after Narendra Modi came to power, the state began receiving substantial funding, said Vaishnaw.
In the financial year 2024-25, Odisha has been allocated Rs 10,536 crore. A record 1,846 kilometers of new railway lines have been constructed in Odisha, surpassing the entire railway network of Sri Lanka, which is 1,700 kilometers long. Additionally, during the Rath Yatra, 315 special trains will operate in Odisha to ensure the convenience and hassle-free travel of devotees, he added.
