Nabarangpur Medical College Foundation Stone Laid, CM Majhi Launches Jagannath Darshan Yojana

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Foundation stone laid for Nabarangpur’s first medical college with 100 MBBS seats.
CM Majhi launches Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana for poor senior citizens and widows.
₹446 crore worth of development projects inaugurated and announced in the district.

Nabarangpur: The Nabarangpur medical college foundation stone was laid on Friday by Mohan Charan Majhi, marking a major milestone in strengthening healthcare infrastructure in one of Odisha’s aspirational districts. The long-awaited government medical college and hospital will be established on over 50 acres of land at Patalaguda in Nabarangpur, with an intake capacity of 100 MBBS seats and a 420-bed hospital.

Addressing a large public gathering, the Chief Minister said that once the medical college becomes operational, residents of Nabarangpur will no longer need to travel outside the district for advanced medical treatment, as modern healthcare facilities will be available locally.

Medical College to Transform Healthcare Access in Nabarangpur

CM Majhi described the project as a crucial step toward equitable access to quality healthcare and medical education. He said the initiative reflects the state government’s commitment to strengthening health infrastructure in backward and tribal-dominated regions.

Highlighting progress in the health sector, Majhi noted that within 20 months of assuming office, three new government medical colleges in Jajpur, Kandhamal and Talcher have already become operational. He added that similar institutions will soon be established in Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur and Bhadrak.

Mukesh Mahaling said that while Odisha had only three government medical colleges three decades ago, the state is now moving toward the goal of having medical colleges in every district, with nine institutions planned for 2024–25 alone.

Long-Standing Demand Fulfilled, Say Local Leaders

Minister for ST & SC Development and School and Mass Education Nityananda Gond thanked the Chief Minister for fulfilling a decades-old demand of the people of Nabarangpur. He said that what remained unachieved for years had been accomplished within just 18 months of the new government taking office.

Local leaders and residents hailed the announcement as a transformative moment for the district’s healthcare and education landscape.

Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana Launched for Poor Devotees

On the same occasion, CM Majhi inaugurated the Shri Jagannath Darshan Yojana, a welfare scheme aimed at enabling economically weaker senior citizens and widows to have darshan of Lord Jagannath at the Jagannath Temple.

The Chief Minister said Lord Jagannath is the Lord of the Universe and there should be no barriers to His darshan. He added that his role as Chief Minister would find true meaning only when every poor devotee can visit Mahaprabhu without hardship and experience spiritual fulfilment.

The scheme was launched simultaneously from Nabarangpur, Bhadrak, Baripada, Sambalpur and Berhampur, with around 500 pilgrims travelling to Puri under official supervision.

Target to Benefit Over One Lakh Devotees in Four Years

Under the scheme, the government aims to facilitate darshan for 5,000 eligible beneficiaries this year and over one lakh people in the next four years. The initiative covers senior citizens aged 60–75 from economically weaker sections and widows up to 75 years of age.

Beneficiaries are provided AC bus travel, accommodation at Brundabati Niwas in Puri and arrangements for Mahaprasad.

Deputy Chief Minister and Tourism Minister Pravati Parida described the scheme as a dream project of the Chief Minister, saying that visiting the Srimandir and climbing the Baisi Pahacha is a cherished aspiration for many Odias.

₹446 Crore Development Push for Nabarangpur

During the programme, CM Majhi also inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 177 development projects worth over ₹446 crore in Nabarangpur district. These projects span education, healthcare, roads, bridges, hostels, anganwadi centres and forest protection initiatives.

Reiterating his commitment, the Chief Minister said that while Nabarangpur may be geographically distant from the state capital, development will never be distant from the district. He emphasised progress in education, healthcare, agriculture, connectivity, women’s empowerment and self-reliance.