Malkangiri is set to receive two industrial projects involving an investment of Rs 4,200 crore, along with planned improvements in rail and air connectivity, an industrial park and new educational infrastructure, Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced on Sunday.
Majhi made the announcement at the DNK Ground in Malkangiri during the state-level celebration of Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, held to mark the 151st birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda. More than 10,000 people attended the event, according to the report.
The proposed industrial investments include a project in the cement sector. The chief minister also announced plans for an industrial park at Simagudi and said the district would receive improved rail and air connectivity. The announcements form part of the state government’s stated effort to bring Malkangiri into the mainstream of development.
“ Malkangiri will no longer remain backward. We are committed to bringing Malkangiri into the mainstream of development,” Majhi said, describing the district as a region with rich tribal culture, natural beauty and a history of struggle. He urged residents to work with the administration under what he called “Team Malkangiri”.
The government also unveiled development projects worth Rs 161 crore during the programme. These included the inauguration of 28 hostels for tribal students, built at a cost of Rs 55 crore, and the laying of foundation stones for 35 projects estimated at Rs 106 crore. The projects are intended to strengthen infrastructure in the district, although the report did not provide project-wise details or completion schedules.
Connectivity will be central to the proposed development push. Malkangiri’s planned industrial investments, rail and air links and industrial park are being presented by the government as measures that can open new economic opportunities for local residents. The announcement did not specify the locations, implementing agencies, construction timelines or financing arrangements for the two industrial projects.
Majhi said the Mukhyamantri Janajati Jeevika Mission 2.0 would seek to make eight lakh tribal and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group families financially self-reliant over the next five years. The programme is to cover 134 blocks across 19 districts. He said tribal communities account for around 58% of Malkangiri’s population.
Education was another part of the government’s development programme. Majhi announced that 11 Godabarish Mishra Model Schools would be established in the initial phase. He also cited students from the Bonda and Didayi communities who had cleared the NEET and Odisha Civil Services examinations. According to the chief minister, 24 new Eklavya Model Residential Schools are now operational in Odisha, taking the state’s total to 71, the highest among states.
The chief minister also referred to the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, under which 7,667 villages across 27 districts of Odisha are being covered for housing, drinking water, roads, healthcare and education facilities. The next steps for Malkangiri will depend on the detailed project plans, implementation arrangements and timelines for the industrial and connectivity announcements.
