Jai Jagannath!

Jai Jagannath!

Jai Baba Lingaraj!

Greetings and Johar to my beloved people of Odisha!

Governor of Odisha Shri Hari Babu ji, our popular Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi ji, my colleagues in the Union Cabinet Shri Jual Oram ji, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan ji and Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw ji, Deputy Chief Ministers of Odisha Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo ji and Smt. Pravati Parida ji, other ministers of the state government, Members of Parliament and Members of the Legislative Assembly, and all my brothers and sisters of Odisha!

Today, i.e., 20th June, is a very special day. Today, the first BJP government in Odisha has successfully completed one year. This anniversary is not just of a government — it is the anniversary of establishing good governance. This one year has been dedicated to public service and public trust. It has been a remarkable year of sincere efforts to live up to the trust of crores of voters in Odisha. I extend heartfelt congratulations to the people of Odisha and to all of you. I also convey my best wishes to Chief Minister Shri Mohan Majhi ji and his entire team. All of you have done commendable work and given new momentum to Odisha’s development.

Friends,

Odisha is not just a state — Odisha is a divine star in the heritage of Bharat. For hundreds of years, Odisha has enriched Indian civilization and our culture. That’s why today, when the mantra of ‘Vikas’ (development) and ‘Virasat’ (heritage) has become the foundation of Bharat’s progress, Odisha’s role has become even greater. In the past year, Odisha has truly embraced this mantra of ‘Vikas bhi, Virasat bhi’ — both development and heritage — and has moved forward swiftly on this mantra.

Friends,

It is a pleasant coincidence that as the BJP government in Odisha completes one year, all of you are immersed in preparations for the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath. Mahaprabhu (the great Lord) is not only a deity for us, He is our source of inspiration as well. And with His blessings, matters related to the Shri Mandir have also been resolved. I congratulate Mohan ji and his government for honouring the wishes of millions and millions of devotees. As soon as the government was formed, all four gates of the Shri Mandir were opened, and even the Shri Mandir’s Ratna Bhandar (treasure vault) has been opened. And let me clarify — this is not a matter of political gain or victory. This is an act of honouring the deep faith of crores of devotees.

Friends,

Just two days ago, I was in Canada for the G7 Summit, and President Trump of the United States called me. He said, "Since you're already in Canada, why not stop by Washington? We’ll have dinner and talk." He extended a warm invitation. I thanked the President of the USA and said: “Thank you for the invitation, but it is essential for me to go to the land of Mahaprabhu.” So, I respectfully declined his invitation, and your love, along with the devotion to Mahaprabhu, has drawn me to this sacred land.

Brothers and sisters,

For decades after independence, the country witnessed the Congress model. The Congress model neither delivered good governance nor made people’s lives easier. Delaying, stalling, and derailing development projects — combined with rampant corruption — became the hallmark of the Congress development model. Now, for the past few years, the country has widely experienced the BJP’s development model. In the past decade, there have been several states where the BJP formed the government for the first time. And in these states, it wasn’t just a change in government — it marked the beginning of a new era of social and economic transformation. Let me explain this with examples from eastern Bharat. Take the case of Assam. Just a decade ago, the situation in Assam was dire — instability, separatism, and violence were rampant. But today, Assam is racing ahead on a new path of development. Decades-long insurgent activities have come to an end. On many fronts, Assam is now outperforming other states in the country. Similarly, I would like to talk about another state i.e., Tripura. After decades of Left rule, the people gave the BJP a chance for the first time. Tripura was also far behind in terms of development. The infrastructure was in a terrible state, people’s voices weren’t heard by the government machinery, and everyone was troubled by violence and corruption. But ever since the BJP got the opportunity to serve, Tripura is now becoming a symbol of peace and progress.

Friends,

Our Odisha too had been struggling with many problems for decades. The poor, the farmers — they couldn’t get their rightful share. Corruption and red tape were dominant. Odisha’s infrastructure was in bad shape. Several regions of Odisha were continuously being left behind in the race for development. These challenges had become a part of Odisha’s unfortunate reality. The BJP government has worked with full strength and commitment in the past one year to overcome these challenges.

Friends,

The double-engine model of development that is working here is clearly showing its benefits. Even today, the inauguration and foundation laying of projects worth thousands of crores of rupees bears the mark of this double engine. The double engine has delivered double benefits to the people in Odisha. Let me give you an example. As you know, millions of poor families in Odisha were left out of the Ayushman Bharat scheme for a long time. Today, both the Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Yojana and the Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana are running together. As a result, around 3 crore people in Odisha are now assured of free medical treatment. And not just in hospitals within Odisha — even if someone from Odisha goes to work in another state, they are now getting free medical treatment there too, when needed. Let me share something I’ve noticed — I was born in Gujarat, and in Surat, you walk just a few steps and you’ll meet someone from Odisha — so many Odia people live there. Now, Odia brothers and sisters living in Surat will also benefit from this scheme. So far, 2 lakh people from Odisha have received treatment under this scheme, and many of them have availed free medical care in more than a dozen states across the country. A year ago, such a facility was unimaginable for so many people. Thanks to this double-engine model, we’ve achieved something even greater than expected — a golden opportunity, made even more special.

Here in Odisha, there are more than 23 lakh senior citizens above the age of 70. Through the PM Vaya Vandana Yojana, they are now eligible for free treatment up to 5 lakh rupees. That means our government has addressed one of the biggest worries of ordinary families. Similarly, earlier, farmers in Odisha were not receiving the full benefits of the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi. Now, farmers in Odisha are getting dual benefits — from both central and state schemes. The guarantee we gave to increase the minimum support price for paddy has also benefited lakhs of paddy farmers.

Friends,

There were many central government schemes whose full benefits never reached Odisha earlier. But now, people are receiving the benefits of both central and state government schemes. And not just that — the guarantees we gave during the elections to mothers and sisters, farmers, and youth — those guarantees are being swiftly implemented on the ground.

Friends,

One of the biggest achievements of our government has been the empowerment of the underprivileged. In Odisha, a large section of the population belongs to our tribal communities. Unfortunately, these communities have been consistently neglected in the past. They have suffered from backwardness, poverty, and deprivation. The party that ruled the country for decades used the tribal population merely as a tool for political gains. These people neither gave the tribal communities development nor participation. Instead, they pushed vast regions of the country into the fire of Naxalism, violence, and oppression.

Friends,

The situation before 2014 was such that more than 125 tribal-dominated districts in the country were under the grip of Naxal violence. Tribal regions were stigmatized under the label of the “Red Corridor.” Most of these districts were simply declared “backward,” and the governments washed their hands of them.

Brothers and sisters,

In recent years, we have worked to bring the tribal communities out of the atmosphere of violence and place them on a new path of development. The BJP government, on one hand, took strict action against those spreading violence, and on the other hand, brought a wave of development to tribal areas. As a result, the spread of Naxal violence has shrunk to fewer than 20 districts in the entire country today. And with the speed at which action is being taken, very soon, our tribal brothers and sisters will be completely free from violence. Naxalism will be eliminated from the country — and this is Modi’s guarantee.

Friends,

Fulfilling the dreams of our tribal brothers and sisters, providing them with new opportunities, and reducing the hardships in their lives are top priorities of our government. That’s why, two major national schemes have been launched specifically for tribal development for the first time. More than 1 lakh crore rupees is being spent on these two schemes. The first scheme is the ‘Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan’, named after Birsa Munda ji. Under this initiative, development work is being carried out in more than 60,000 tribal villages across the country. Here in Odisha too, houses are being built for tribal families, roads are being constructed, and access to electricity and clean water is being provided. In 11 districts of Odisha, 40 residential schools are also being built. The central government is investing hundreds of crores of rupees in this effort.

Friends,

The second scheme is the PM-JANMAN Yojana. The inspiration for this scheme came from the land of Odisha. The first tribal woman President of the country, Odisha’s very own daughter, Respected Droupadi Murmu ji, has guided us in the creation of this initiative. Under this scheme, efforts are being made to uplift the most marginalized tribal communities. In many of their small tribal hamlets, development works worth hundreds of crores are underway.

Friends,

A large number of fisherfolk live in Odisha. For them too, for the first time, a major nationwide scheme — the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana — has been launched. For the first time ever, fishermen are also being given access to Kisan Credit Cards. The central government is preparing to create a special fund of 25,000 crore rupees. This will greatly benefit our coastal communities in Odisha and our youth.

Friends,

The development of 21st-century Bharat will gain momentum from Eastern Bharat. This is the era of “Purvodaya” — the rise of the East. With this spirit, we are dedicated to the development of Odisha and the entire eastern region of the country. The formation of the BJP government in Odisha one year ago has further accelerated this mission. From Paradeep to Jharsuguda, industrial zones are expanding. This is strengthening Odisha’s mineral and port-led economy. The central government is investing thousands of crores of rupees in road, rail, and air connectivity in the state. Whether it’s the establishment of the Mega Dual-Feed Cracker and Downstream Units in Paradeep, the Crude Oil Storage Facility in Chandikhol, or the construction of an LNG Terminal in Gopalpur — all these steps are working to establish Odisha as a major industrial state. Industries related to petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, and plastics will get a major boost here. This will create a vast network of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and bring lakhs of new employment opportunities for the youth. In recent years, the petroleum and petrochemical sector in Odisha alone has seen an investment of around 1.5 lakh crore rupees. Odisha is rapidly advancing toward becoming Bharat’s petrochemical hub.

Friends,

To achieve big goals, we must look far ahead — we need vision. Our BJP government here is not limited to just celebrating one year of achievements or thinking only five years ahead. It is working on the long-term roadmap for the development of Odisha for the coming decades. The Odisha government has prepared a special plan for the year 2036, when the state will celebrate 100 years of its formation. The BJP government in Odisha also has a vision for 2047, when Bharat will celebrate 100 years of independence. I was reviewing the Odisha Vision 2036, and it includes some very ambitious goals. I am fully confident that with the talent and hard work of Odisha’s youth, you will achieve every single target. Together, we will take Odisha to new heights of development. With this promise, I once again extend my heartfelt best wishes to all of you.

Warm greetings once again to everyone! Johar!

Jai Jagannath!

Jai Jagannath!

Jai Jagannath!

DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.

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MJPS/VJ/VK