Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated development projects worth over ₹60,000 crore in Odisha, covering sectors like railways, higher education, and telecommunications, from Jharsuguda.

During the event, Modi laid the foundation stones for the expansion of eight Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country, which will accommodate an additional 10,000 students over the next four years.

He also flagged off the Amrit Bharat Express, linking Berhampur in Odisha with Udhna in Gujarat’s Surat district.

The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the doubling of the 34-km Koraput–Baiguda rail line and the 82-km Manabar–Koraput–Gorapur section, constructed at a total cost of ₹1,400 crore. Additionally, he commissioned over 97,500 4G telecom towers using BSNL’s indigenous technology.

In Sambalpur, Modi inaugurated a 5-km flyover built at a cost of ₹273 crore, aimed at easing traffic congestion in the city.

This visit marked Modi’s sixth trip to Odisha in the last 15 months since the BJP assumed power in the state in June 2024. His previous visit to Jharsuguda was on September 22, 2018, for the inauguration of Odisha’s second commercial airport.