By Our Correspondent
ANGUL/BHUBANESWAR:Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the inauguration ceremony of the 13th Angul Mahotsav-2026 in Angul today and extended his greetings and best wishes to the people of the district. The Chief Minister said that Angul has always been unique in terms of culture, tradition and hospitality and this festival is further strengthening the communal unity and cultural pride of the region.
The Chief Minister said that Angul district, located in the central part of Odisha, has emerged as a strong blend of culture, natural resources and industrial development. With the Satkoshi region, Mahanadi and Brahmani rivers and the mountains, Angul district has given importance to the development of the tourism industry, while public sector undertakings like NALCO, MCL and NTPC have made the district a leading industrial hub of the country.
He said that Angul’s spiritual and cultural heritage is its real strength. The rock shrines like Sri Jagannath Temple, Maa Budhi Thakurani Peetha, Maa Hingula Peetha along with various other places of worship have strengthened the religious heritage of the region. Local yatras, folk dances and folk songs further highlight the cultural identity of Angul.
Recalling the historical contribution of Angul, the Chief Minister paid tribute to the sons of Angul like Raja Somnath Singh, Puruth Mohan Pradhan, Nrusingh Rayaguru and Radha Mohan Gadnayak. He said that the struggle and spirit of service of this district has been important in the formation of Odisha.
Mentioning the role of Angul in the industrial and energy sectors, he said that the district is known as the ‘power hub’ of the state due to its vast coal mines and thermal power plants. He said that the proposed Integrated Surface Coal Gasification Plant in Talcher will open new avenues for energy security and employment generation in the future.
He added that the plan to create a mega industrial corridor from Paradip to Rourkela will give a new impetus to the economic development of the state and Angul district will play a key role as its hub. Regarding development initiatives, he said that after launching projects worth about Rs. 1800 crore last year, this year too various projects worth Rs. 559 crore have been inaugurated and foundation stone laid for Angul. These include roads, bridges, health, education, drinking water, anganwadis, hostels and sports infrastructure, which will ensure the overall development of the district.
Referring to social security and welfare schemes, he said that the government is committed to empowering farmers, women, youth and the poor through initiatives like ‘Mukhyamantri Annapurna Yojana’, ‘Samuddha Kishan Yojana’, ‘Subhadra Yojana’, ‘Kanya Vivah Yojana’ and ‘Kanya Sumangal Yojana’.
The Chief Minister strongly stated that the policy of ‘Zero Tolerance’ against good governance, transparency and corruption along with the protection of Odia language, literature and culture continues. Angul district will play a prominent role in achieving the goals of ‘Developed India-2047’ and ‘Prosperous Odisha-2036’.
He expressed hope.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister felicitated individuals who have done good work in various fields in the district and state and released a souvenir “Our District, Our Story”.
On this occasion, Angul MLA Shri Pratap Chandra Pradhan in his speech thanked the Chief Minister and said that whatever demands we have for our district, all the demands are being fulfilled. The grants given in the fields of education, health, transportation are fulfilling the dreams of the people of the district.
On this occasion, Pallahda MLA Shri Ashok Mohanty said that Chief Minister Angul has prepared a development plan for the people of Basi. In his speech, he said that Industrial Khadan Ratnagarbha Angul is leading the path of development under the leadership of the Chief Minister.
Chendipada MLA Shri Agasti Behera expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister on behalf of the people of the district on the stage and said that the Chief Minister has fulfilled all the promises made in the election manifesto. Therefore, Angul will definitely help the state government in generating revenue for the district.
Talcher MLA Braj Kishore Pradhan humbly requested the Chief Minister to resolve the various problems faced by the people of the region. He informed the Chief Minister about how more doctors can be appointed in the Purat Mohan Medical College.
On this occasion, Angul MLA Shri Pratap Chandra Pradhan, Pallahara MLA Shri Ashok Mohanty, Talcher MLA Shri Braj Kishore Pradhan, Chendipada MLA Shri Agasti Behera, Angul Municipality Chairman Shri Akshay Kumar Samanta, District Council Chairperson Smt. Babita Pradhan and District Collector Shri Abdal Muhammad Akhtar along with other dignitaries were present. At the end of the meeting, Additional District Collector of Angul district Pratap Preetimayi proposed the vote of thanks.
