On the occasion of the 79th Independence Day, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi made several significant announcements. Under the Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, beneficiaries from 11 districts will receive an additional 5 kg of rice free of cost. These include 8 KBK districts along with Boudh, Gajapati, and Kandhamal. This benefit will be provided for three months to over 27 lakh families. A total of 41,082 metric tonnes of additional rice will be distributed, for which the state government will spend nearly ₹180 crore from its own funds.

The CM further announced that to strengthen road and transport infrastructure, 75,000 km of high-quality roads will be constructed over the next five years. Additionally, the government has set a target to build four new ports — at Inchudi, Bahuda, Subarnarekha, and Astaranga.

Earlier, the state government had also announced the formation of 21 new Notified Area Councils (NACs). Currently, only 17% of the state’s population resides in urban areas, while the rest live in rural regions. These new NACs aim to accelerate development and urban growth.