Odisha: Amit Shah inaugurates 4 laning of Kamakhya Nagar-Duburi Section of NH-53 

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], August 5 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Saturday dedicated the four-laning of Kamakhya Nagar-Duburi Section of National Highway-53 to the nation.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan were also present on the occasion.
The 51 km stretch has been constructed at a cost of Rs 761 crore which will connect the coal belt of Talcher to the steel hub in Kalinga Nagar in Jajpur, Odisha. Besides, the foundation stone was laid for the widening, and strengthening of Moter-Banner Road via Ladugaon in Kalahandi.
"The future of the nation, and the development of the nation are closely linked to National Highways. That is why the Union Government has given maximum importance to the construction of NHs," Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on the occasion.
Currently, about 29 km of NHs is being constructed every day, he added. Shah outlined the infra push of the Government of India in recent times. He said that the Centre has given grants to the tune of 18 lakh crore to Odisha in various sectors in the last 9 years.
Praising Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Union Home Minister said that Odisha has achieved almost zero casualty in disaster management. Odisha’s model of disaster management has played a key role in national disaster management, he added.
He also appreciated the role of the state Govt. in reducing the naxal menace in Odisha.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that the "New Odisha' is a unique transformation story setting benchmarks across various sectors.
Welcoming the Union Home Minister, the Chief Minister said, “My government believes that connectivity is key to the progress of the state and empowerment of our people.”
Citing the example of the Gurupriya bridge connecting the Swabhiman Anchal in Malkangiri, he said that the construction of this bridge has played a catalytic role in the development of the entire area.
Further, he said, "The Biju Express Way, an economic corridor connecting western Odisha with southern Odisha-will be a crucial platform to propel growth in the region."
The budget of State Works Dept has seen a quantum jump since 2000, from about Rs 280 crore to more than Rs 15000 crore now, he added.
Outlining the construction plan for this year, he said that this year we plan to improve 6500 km of roads and construct around 300 bridges which will provide huge momentum for growth and opportunities.
Odisha CM further said, "In recent years, we have completed two Airports at Jaypore and Utkela and a Greenfield Airport at Malkangiri is under construction."
Saying that Odisha always believes in cooperative federalism, he thanked the Government of India for its support to the State in its development agenda.
Speaking on the Occasion, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "The Union Govt. has taken a focused approach to eastern states in the form of Prime Minister’s 'Purbodaya' vision. Odisha has received a significant amount from the Centre for various projects."
State Works Minister Prafulla Mallick outlined the infrastructure projects the state has taken up in the last 23 years. He highlighted the completion of a portion of Biju Express Way from Rourkela to Ampani that would play a key role in the economic transformation of the area.
Chief Secretary PK Jena gave the welcome address and a NHAI member proposed the vote of thanks. (ANI)