Jai Jagannath!  

Jai Jagannath!  

Jai Jagannath!  

The Governor of Odisha, Raghubar Das ji, the popular Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Manjhi ji, my colleagues in the Union Cabinet, Jual Oram ji, Dharmendra Pradhan ji and Annapurna Devi ji, Deputy Chief Ministers of Odisha, K. V. Singhdeo ji and Smt. Pravati Parida ji, Members of Parliament, Members of the Legislative Assembly, all other distinguished individuals who have joined us from every corner of the country today, and my brothers and sisters of Odisha.

Dear brothers and sisters of Odisha,  

My advance greetings for the upcoming festive season.

By the grace of Lord Jagannath, I have had the privilege of coming to the sacred land of Odisha once again. When Lord Jagannath bestows His grace, when the blessings of Lord Jagannath shower upon us, it brings with it the opportunity to serve Lord Jagannath as well as to serve the people in abundance. 

Friends,

Today, the entire nation is celebrating the Ganesh festival, and Lord Ganesha is being bid farewell. Today is also the sacred occasion of Anant Chaturdashi. Additionally, today is Vishwakarma Puja. Bharat is the only country in the world where labour and skill are worshipped in the form of Lord Vishwakarma. I extend my greetings to all the countrymen on the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti.

Friends,

On such an auspicious day, I have had the opportunity to launch the Subhadra Scheme for the mothers and sisters of Odisha. This too is the grace of Lord Jagannath that a scheme is being launched in the name of Mata Subhadra, and even Lord Indra has arrived to bless us. Today, more than 30 lakh families across the country have been given pucca houses from this very land of Lord Jagannath. Of these, 26 lakh homes have been given in the villages, and 400,000 homes in various cities of our country. Several development projects worth thousands of crores of rupees for Odisha's growth have also been inaugurated and laid the foundation for today. I extend my congratulations to all of you, to the people of Odisha, and to all countrymen on this occasion.

Brothers and sisters,

When the new government under the leadership of the BJP was formed in Odisha, I came for the oath-taking ceremony. This is my first visit since then. During the election, I told you that if a double-engine government is formed here, Odisha will soar to new heights of development. The dreams of the poor and marginalized families in the villages, Dalits, Adivasis, our mothers, sisters, daughters, and women, as well as the dreams of our youth—both young men and women—and the hard working middle class will come true. I have faith in this, and it is with the blessings of Lord Jagannath. Today, you can see that the promises we made are being fulfilled at an unprecedented pace. We had promised that we would open the four gates of the Jagannath Temple as soon as our government was formed. Immediately after forming the government, we ensured that the closed gates of the Jagannath Temple complex were opened. As we had said, the temple's "Ratna Bhandar" (treasury) was also opened. The BJP government is working day and night in the service of the people. Under the leadership of Mohan ji, K. V. Singh Deo ji, Sister Pravati Parida ji, and all the ministers of the government are directly reaching out to the people and striving to solve their problems. For this, I wholeheartedly appreciate my entire team and all my colleagues here. I commend them.

Brothers and sisters,

Today is special for another reason as well. Today marks 100 days of the NDA government at the Centre. During this time, significant decisions have been made for the empowerment of the poor, farmers, youth, and women. In the past 100 days, it was decided that 3 crore pucca houses will be built for the poor. A PM package worth 2 lakh crore rupees has been announced for the youth in the last 100 days, which will greatly benefit young people. Under this scheme, the government will pay the first salary for youth getting their first jobs in private companies. A decision has also been made to add 75,000 new medical seats across the country, including Odisha. A few days ago, a plan was approved to connect 25,000 villages with paved roads, which will also benefit the villages of my Odisha. The budget for the Tribal Ministry has been nearly doubled, and a special plan for the development of around 60,000 tribal villages across the country has been announced. In the last 100 days, an excellent pension scheme has also been introduced for government employees. Additionally, income tax reductions have been provided for employees, shopkeepers, and middle-class entrepreneurs.

Friends,

In the past 100 days, 11 lakh new "Lakhpati Didis" have been created across the country, including in Odisha. Recently, a significant decision was made for paddy farmers, oilseed farmers, and onion farmers. The import duty on foreign oil has been increased to ensure that our farmers can sell their produce at higher prices. Additionally, the export duty on Basmati rice has been reduced, which will boost rice exports and benefit farmers who grow Basmati rice. The Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Kharif crops has also been increased, providing around 2 lakh crore rupees in benefits to millions of farmers across the country. In the past 100 days, several major steps have been taken for the benefit of all.

Friends,

Any country or state progresses only when its development includes the equal participation of half of its population, that is, our women. Therefore, the advancement and growing strength of women will be the mantra for Odisha’s development. Here, the presence of Goddess Subhadra alongside Lord Jagannath teaches us this very lesson. I respectfully bow to all the mothers, sisters, and daughters in the form of Goddess Subhadra. I am glad that one of the earliest decisions of the new BJP government was to gift the Subhadra Scheme to our mothers and sisters. Over 1 crore women in Odisha will benefit from this scheme. Under this scheme, women will receive a total of 50,000 rupees, which will be given to them in installments. This money will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of mothers and sisters—no middlemen involved, straight to you. The scheme is also linked with the RBI's digital currency pilot project. Through this digital currency, all of you sisters will be able to spend the money digitally whenever you wish. I extend my hearty congratulations to the mothers, sisters, and daughters of Odisha for being part of this first-of-its-kind digital currency scheme in the country. May the Subhadra Scheme empower my mothers and sisters, and I pray to Goddess Subhadra for her blessings to be with them.

Brothers and sisters,

I have been informed that various campaigns are being conducted across the state to ensure that the Subhadra Scheme reaches every mother, sister, and daughter of Odisha. Women are being made aware of the scheme, and all related information is being provided. Lakhs of BJP workers are also enthusiastically involved in this service campaign. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the government, administration, BJP MLAs, MPs, and the lakhs of BJP party workers for their efforts in this awareness drive.

Friends,

Another reflection of women empowerment in Bharat is the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Through this scheme, property is now being registered in the name of women, even in the smallest villages. Today, almost 30 lakh families across the country have been handed their new homes. Although only a few months have passed in this third term of our government, approval letters have been issued to 15 lakh new beneficiaries in this short time. More than 10 lakh beneficiaries have had funds transferred directly into their bank accounts, and this auspicious work has also been initiated from this sacred land of Lord Jagannath in Odisha. A large number of Odisha’s poor families are among those receiving these benefits. For the lakhs of families who have received or are assured of receiving a permanent house today, this marks a new beginning and a solid start in their lives.

Brothers and sisters,

Before coming here, I visited the home of a tribal family for their housewarming ceremony. This family has also received their new home under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The joy on their faces and the satisfaction they felt are things I will never forget. The sister in that tribal family happily offered me ‘kheer’ (rice pudding)! As I was eating the kheer, it naturally reminded me of my mother. When my mother was alive, I used to visit her on my birthday to seek her blessings, and she would always feed me jaggery. Though my mother is no longer with me, today, a tribal mother fed me kheer and blessed me on my birthday. This experience, this feeling, is something I will treasure for the rest of my life. The changes happening in the lives of the poor, Dalits, marginalized, and tribal communities—their happiness—gives me the energy to work even harder.

Friends,

Odisha has everything necessary to become a developed state. The talent of its youth, the strength of its women, its natural resources, opportunities for industries, and immense potential for tourism—what does Odisha lack? In the past 10 years, even while we were only in the central government, we proved how much of a priority Odisha is for us. Today, Odisha receives three times the amount of money from the central government compared to 10 years ago. I am happy to see that now the schemes that weren’t previously implemented in Odisha are also being executed. Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the people of Odisha will now receive free medical treatment up to 5 lakh rupees. And not only that, the central government has also made treatment up to 5 lakh rupees free for senior citizens above the age of 70. Regardless of your income, if you have an elderly person above the age of 70 in your household, Modi will take care of their medical needs. During the Lok Sabha elections, Modi had made this promise to you, and Modi has fulfilled his guarantee.

Friends,

The biggest beneficiary of the BJP’s campaign against poverty has been the Dalit, marginalized, and tribal communities living in Odisha. Whether it was establishing a separate ministry for the welfare of the tribal society, granting them rights to their roots, forests, and land, providing education and employment opportunities for tribal youth, or electing a tribal woman from Odisha as the Honorable President of the country—these are initiatives that we took for the first time.

Friends,

There were many tribal areas and groups in Odisha that were deprived of development for generations. The central government has launched the PM JANMAN Yojana for the most backward tribal communities. In Odisha, 13 such tribal communities have been identified. Under the JANMAN Yojana, the government is ensuring that development programs reach all these communities. Additionally, a campaign is being run to free tribal regions from sickle cell anemia. More than 13 lakh people have been screened under this campaign in the last three months.

Brothers and sisters,

Today, our country is also focusing on the preservation of traditional skills like never before. For hundreds and thousands of years, people like blacksmiths, potters, goldsmiths, and sculptors have existed in our society. Keeping 18 such professions in mind, the Vishwakarma Yojana was launched last year on Vishwakarma Day. The government is spending 13,000 crore rupees on this scheme. So far, 20 lakh people have registered under it. Through this scheme, Vishwakarma workers are being trained, provided with thousands of rupees to purchase modern tools, and given easy, collateral-free loans from banks. From health security to social and economic security for the poor, these guarantees and the changes they bring to their lives will become the true strength of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India).

Friends,

Odisha has such a vast coastline, abundant mineral resources, and natural wealth. We need to turn these resources into Odisha's strength. We aim to elevate Odisha's road and railway connectivity to new heights in the next 5 years. Today, several projects related to rail and road have been inaugurated. I had the privilege of dedicating the Lanjigarh Road-Ambodala- Dikkulu rail line to the nation. The Laxmipur Road-Singaram-Tikiri rail line is also being dedicated today. Along with this, the Dhenkanal-Sadashibpur-Hindol rail line is being dedicated to the nation. Work has also begun to enhance connectivity from Paradip. I also had the honour of laying the foundation stone for the Jaipur-Nuapada new railway line. These projects will create numerous new employment opportunities for the youth of Odisha. The day is not far when work on the Puri-Konark railway line will also start at a rapid pace. The high-tech ‘Namo Bharat Rapid Rail’ will soon be coming to Odisha. This modern infrastructure will open new doors of opportunities for Odisha.

Friends,

Today, September 17, the country is also observing Hyderabad Liberation Day. After independence, our country was in a state where foreign powers wanted to break it into pieces. Opportunistic people were ready to divide the country for power. In those circumstances, Sardar Patel came forward and showed extraordinary willpower to unite the country. On September 17, Hyderabad was freed by overcoming anti-Bharat extremist forces. Therefore, Hyderabad Liberation Day is not just a date. It is also an inspiration for national integrity and our responsibilities towards the nation.

Friends,

On this important day, we must also pay attention to the challenges that seek to push the country backward. As we bid farewell to Ganpati Bappa, I am raising an issue related to this. The Ganesh festival is not just a festival of faith for our country. It also played a significant role in our country's independence. When the British were dividing the country due to their hunger for power, using communal discord as a weapon to “divide and rule,” Lokmanya Tilak awakened the soul of Bharat through public celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi. Our religion teaches us to rise above caste, discrimination, and differences, and Ganesh Chaturthi became a symbol of that. Even today, during Ganesh Chaturthi, everyone participates. There is no discrimination, no difference; the entire society stands united as a powerful force.

Brothers and sisters,

The British, who followed the policy of “divide and rule,” found the Ganesh festival objectionable even then. Today also, the power-hungry individuals who seek to divide and break society are also troubled by Ganesh worship. You might have seen that Congress and its ecosystem have been agitated in recent days because I participated in Ganesh worship. Furthermore, in Karnataka, where their government is in power, they committed an even greater crime by imprisoning the statue of Lord Ganesh. The entire country was disturbed by those images. This hateful mindset and the mentality of spreading poison in society are dangerous for our country. Therefore, we must not allow such hateful forces to advance.

Friends,

We need to achieve many significant milestones together. We need to take Odisha and our country to new heights of success. Odisha's residents deserve to see a thriving Odisha. I am confident that the pace of development will accelerate in the coming times. Once again, I congratulate you all. Say it with me—

Jai Jagannath!  

Jai Jagannath!  

Jai Jagannath!  

Bharat Mata ki – Jai!

Bharat Mata ki – Jai!

Thank you very much. 

*****

MJPS/ VJ