Odisha CM Mohan Majhi Sets Target to Enter Top Five Developed States by 2036
“By 2036, we aim to make Odisha one of the top five states in the country. It would not be wrong to say that a new industrial revolution has started here.”
Keonjhar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday evening asserted that the state is on a fast-track growth trajectory and will emerge among India’s top five developed states by 2036. He was speaking at the inauguration of the Gonasika–Keonjhar Festival, where he outlined the government’s roadmap for infrastructure, industrial growth, and cultural promotion.
“We have initiated the process of building a prosperous Odisha. A new era of development has begun,” Majhi said, adding that the state has already earmarked more than Rs 65,000 crore for major development works. Connectivity projects involving road and rail networks are being taken up across districts, he said.
Majhi announced that by 2027, every village in Odisha will have road connectivity, electricity supply and piped drinking water under Mission Power.
“By 2036, we aim to make Odisha one of the top five states in the country. It would not be wrong to say that a new industrial revolution has started here,” he said.
The Chief Minister highlighted significant progress in investment inflow. In the past seven months, Odisha has received investment proposals worth Rs 17 lakh crore under Utkarsa Odisha, expected to generate more than 13 lakh jobs, he said. In 11 months, projects valued at Rs 2.4 lakh crore have already been inaugurated, paving the way for around 1.5 lakh new jobs.
Majhi also announced that Keonjhar is set to house a mega steel plant, with groundwork already underway. He said the district will soon stand alongside Rourkela and Jajpur as a major steel hub. The state plans to construct six-lane roads connecting major industrial and mining clusters, including a ring road in Barbil, and to develop new economic zones, transforming the Keonjhar–Barbil–Joda belt into a key economic corridor.
Touching upon cultural identity, Majhi said the government is committed to strengthening Odia language and heritage. “All work in the Secretariat is now being conducted in Odia. Government communication must be in the language that people understand,” he said. He also underscored the contribution of tribal culture to Odisha’s identity, noting that the state is home to 62 tribal communities.
Majhi said the rising cultural consciousness in India since the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has encouraged pride in traditional heritage. Festivals like the Gonasika–Keonjhar Festival, he said, play a vital role in conserving art, literature, folklore and tourism while passing traditions to future generations.
The event began with a welcome address by Keonjhar Collector Vishal Singh. Among those present were MP Ananta Charan Nayak, MLAs Badri Narayan Patra, Dr. Fakir Mohan Nayak and Akhil Chandra Nayak, DIG Brijesh Rai and SP Nitin Kushalkar.