Odisha Govt marks two years with welfare, infrastructure and growth push

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday presented his government’s two-year report card, highlighting achievements in welfare, education, healthcare, infrastructure, industry and governance while reaffirming the goal of building a “Prosperous Odisha” by 2036.

Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, Majhi thanked the people of Odisha for their support and said the government had spent the last two years engaging directly with citizens and shaping policies around their aspirations. He stated that the state now has a clear roadmap for development and that the “double-engine government” of the Centre and the state was delivering visible results across Odisha.

Advertisement

The Chief Minister said the government had launched 121 new schemes, programmes and initiatives in the past two years. Emphasising inclusive growth, he reiterated that the poor must have the first claim on the benefits of development.

Highlighting women’s empowerment, Majhi said the Subhadra Yojana, approved in the first Cabinet meeting, has provided assistance exceeding Rs 20,600 crore. He also cited the Kanya Bibaha and Kanya Sumangala schemes, aimed at supporting girls and women. More than four lakh Self-Help Groups have received concessional bank credit worth Rs 38,795 crore, while 23.5 lakh women have become “Lakhpati Didis”.

On agriculture, the Chief Minister said a record 77.41 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had been procured from 18.83 lakh farmers during the 2025-26 Kharif season. He announced the launch of the Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana, under which beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act and State Food Security Scheme will receive an additional 5 kg of free rice per month, taking the total entitlement to 10 kg. The scheme is expected to benefit over 3.28 crore people.

In a major announcement, Majhi declared that education from Kindergarten to Postgraduate level will be made completely free in Odisha. He said the measure would particularly benefit students from economically weaker sections and girls. The government has also implemented the National Education Policy 2020, initiated model schools in panchayats and recruited over 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff.

In the health sector, he highlighted the implementation of Ayushman Bharat-Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, benefiting more than 3.46 crore people with cashless treatment facilities. New medical colleges have been opened in Jajpur, Talcher and Kandhamal, while more are planned in Nabarangpur, Jagatsinghpur, Dhenkanal and Bhadrak.

Majhi said Odisha has significantly increased infrastructure spending, with a capital outlay of Rs 72,100 crore in the current budget. Over the past two years, around 9,000 km of roads, 57 bridges and four railway overbridges have been taken up. The government has also attracted investment proposals worth nearly Rs 20 lakh crore, with the potential to create around 17 lakh jobs.

The Chief Minister said governance reforms, public grievance hearings, technology-driven administration and large-scale recruitment had strengthened public trust in the government.

Concluding his address, Majhi said that Odisha had entered a new phase of development marked by transparency, accountability and citizen participation.