Govt marks first anniversary with Vikas Mela
Bhubaneswar: CM Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday inaugurated the state-level Vikas Mela 2025 at IDCO Exhibition Ground, marking the completion of his govt's first year in office.
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The week-long fair, running until June 18, features over 75 departmental stalls showcasing various welfare schemes and govt initiatives. A special food festival highlighting Odia cuisine is being organised with 40 stalls managed by Subhadra Shakti women's groups.
"We successfully transformed our promises into reality within a year," Majhi said during the inauguration. "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guidance, we achieved significant milestones across various sectors," he added.
Majhi highlighted key achievements, including the implementation of the farmer welfare schemes, which increased annual farm household income by Rs 30,000, and the steps to create employment opportunities for 12.90 lakh youngsters through the Utkarsh Odisha 2025 initiative, which attracted investment intents of close to Rs 17 lakh crore.
"Other notable accomplishments include the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat healthcare scheme, raising the govt recruitment age limit to 42 years and reserving 11.25% of seats in higher education for SEBC category students.
The govt also provided over 27,000 govt jobs during this period," he said.
"We launched a decisive war against corruption," Majhi emphasised, noting that strict action was taken against corrupt officials at all levels.
Speaking separately at an intellectuals' meet, Majhi highlighted his govt's achievements during its first year in office, emphasising the administration's commitment to public feedback and cultural preservation.
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"This year was about fulfilling people's aspirations and bridging the gap between the govt and citizens," he said, underlining the govt's focus on transparency in budgeting and policy-making. He stressed that public opinion remains central to the govt's decision-making process.
The administration announced ambitious plans to install statues of 21 prominent personalities across the state. Additionally, the govt will develop memorial museums, lecture centres and children's parks at the birthplaces of these historical figures. "We aim to transform 100-150 villages associated with these personalities into model villages," Majhi added.
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