Cuttack, Dec 13: Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik on Monday launched several projects worth Rs 2500 crores in Cuttack and Khorda.

He inaugurated 40 projects worth Rs 93.28 crore and laid the foundation stones for 95 projects worth Rs 1,474.88 crore in Cuttack following which he went to Begunia area of Khordha district where he inaugurated 126 projects costing Rs 85.53 crore and laid the foundation stones for 406 projects worth Rs 902.44 crore.

Pattnaik, through video conferencing, addressed the gathering in Baliyatra ground and said that the government is taking steps for developing the SCB Medical College as a world-class healthcare institution and that it would be a milestone in the country’s health care sector in the coming days.

Patnaik also announced that the Biswanath Pandit Central Library would be redeveloped as a state-of-the-art library near the Puri-Angul bus stand in the city.

Subsequently, at Begunia, Pattnaik addressed the crowd that gathered to witness the series of events and said that Khordha was the land of the first freedom struggle.

“We will continue our fight for the rights of the Odia people,” Pattnaik said, remembering the brave soldiers of Odisha, known as ‘Paikas’ who debatably fought the first War of Independence in 1817.

The Odisha government has been demanding the Centre to recognise the ‘Paika Bidroha’ as the first war for Indian Independence. Recently, the state assembly had adopted a resolution to recommend to the Centre to declare the ‘Paika Bidroha’ (Paika rebellion) of 1817 as the ‘First War of Independence’.