Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 19,600 crore during his scheduled visit to Odisha on 5 March, an official statement said.

The projects relate to sectors such as oil and gas, railways, road, transport & highways and atomic energy.

Modi will inaugurate the Indian Oil Corporation Limited’s mono ethylene glycol project in Paradip Refinery which will help reduce India’s import dependency. He will also inaugurate a 344-km-long product pipeline traversing from Paradip in Odisha to Haldia in West Bengal.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate a 0.6 MMTPA LPG import facility at Paradip to augment the import infrastructure along the eastern coast,

To boost road infrastructure in the region, the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation four-laning of several crucial sections of national highways, including the Singhara to Binjabahal Section of NH-49; Binjabahal to Tileibani Section of NH-49; Balasore-Jharpokharia Section of NH-18 and Tangi-Bhubaneswar Section of NH-16. He will also lay the foundation stone for the eight-laning of the Chandikhole-Paradip Section at Chandikhole.

Expansion of the railway network will also take place with focus on modernising and extending rail connectivity. The Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation the 162-km-long Bansapani-Daitari-Tomka-Jakhapura rail line. It will not only enhance the existing traffic facility’s capacity but also facilitate efficient transportation of iron and manganese ore from the Keonjhar district to the nearest ports and steel plants, significantly contributing to regional economic growth. The Inauguration of the CONCOR Container Depot in Kalinga Nagar will be done with an aim to boost domestic and international trade. Foundation stone will also be laid for the Electric Loco Periodical Overhauling Workshop at Narla, the Wagon Periodical Overhauling Workshop at Kantabanji and the upgradation and augmentation of maintenance facilities at Baghuapal. Other railway projects, including flagging off new train services, will also be taken up during the visit.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate a 5 MLD capacity seawater desalination plant at Odisha Sands Complex of IREL(I) Ltd. This project has been built as a part of field applications of indigenous desalination technologies developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.