Bhubaneswar, November 7: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday announced a series of major development initiatives during his visit to his native village, Raikala, in Keonjhar district, with a focus on strengthening agriculture, irrigation, healthcare, education, sports and rural infrastructure.

The major highlight of the visit was the foundation stone laying ceremony for three large lift irrigation projects worth around Rs 120 crore, which will provide irrigation facilities to 4,280 hectares of agricultural land across Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts.

The projects, proposed at Raikala, Satikudara and Jarakani, are targeted for completion by 2028. They are expected to benefit several villages in Jhumpura and Keonjhar blocks of Keonjhar district, besides the Jarakani region of Mayurbhanj.

Also Read: Odisha: Bankatira barrage project gains full momentum as land acquisition nears completion

Addressing a public gathering, the Chief Minister said improved irrigation facilities would help farmers increase agricultural productivity and enhance their income by enabling them to cultivate two to three crops annually instead of a single crop.

Majhi said that the state government had set a target of extending irrigation facilities to an additional 15 lakh hectares of agricultural land across Odisha over the next five years.

He also announced that the much-awaited Kanupur Irrigation Project in Keonjhar district would be formally inaugurated in December.

As part of efforts to strengthen rural healthcare infrastructure, Majhi inaugurated the newly constructed Jhumpura Community Health Centre (CHC), built at an estimated cost of Rs 17.97 crore.

He also inaugurated a new State Bank of India branch at Raikala to improve access to banking facilities for local farmers, traders and residents.

In a major boost to education and sports infrastructure in his native village, the Chief Minister announced two projects involving a combined investment of Rs 54 crore.

A modern sports complex will be developed at Raikala at a cost of Rs 24 crore while a residential school will be established at an estimated cost of Rs 30 crore to provide quality education to students belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The Chief Minister also highlighted the government's commitment to the overall development of Keonjhar district.