Bhubaneswar, July 27 (Reporter) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday requested the centre for dedicated budget allocations and quick clearances from the Union Government for various infrastructure projects in the state. Majhi also sought central assistance and support for establishing large-scale port-based industrial zones in areas surrounding the existing ports in the state and creating Disaster Resilient Infrastructure in power, telecom sectors and coastal saline embankments. Speaking at the 9th meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog in New Delhi, Majhi said with the assistance from Government of India Viksit Odisha shall be a key contributor to Viksit Bharat. The Chief Minister said the next decade is crucial for us as the year 2036 marks the completion of 100 years of the Statehood of Odisha.He said “We have started working on a strategy to stimulate high growth to realise the dream of Viksit Odisha by 2036, leading eventually to Viksit Bharat by 2047. Viksit Bharat by 2047 would balance economic growth with social well-being; development with sustainability; technological advancements with preservation of culture and heritage while also ensuring good quality of life for all its people, Majhi said. The Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for announcing the Purvodaya scheme in the Union Budget,2024-25 to boost the development of five eastern states including Odisha. He said to leverage Odisha’s long coastline of 480 km, we shall adopt the model of port-led development, positioning us as the gateway to Eastern and South Eastern Asia and a port of call for neighbouring landlocked States. The Chief Minister sought support from the centre for the establishment of large-scale port-based industrial zones in areas surrounding the existing ports of Dhamra and Gopalpur; while further developing greenfield ports at Astaranga, Palur, Bahuda, and Subarnarekha. Majhi said Odisha required dedicated budget allocations and quick clearances from the Union Government for various infrastructure projects such as Industrial Parks and Corridors, Electricity Grids, Railway Infrastructure and enhanced air connectivity. He said Odisha, though prone to natural disasters, has emerged as a pioneer in disaster management, demonstrating remarkable resilience. The Chief Minister said financial support of the Central Government for the creation of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure in power, telecom sectors and coastal saline embankments will help the State in minimising the adverse consequences of cyclones and floods. As a potential green economy, support is also required for Pumped Hydro Storage Plants (PSPs) projects, Floating Solar Projects and intrastate green energy transmission corridor projects, he said. To ensure financial inclusion, the Government of India may expedite opening more numbers of brick & mortar bank branches and ATMs in the unbanked/ under-banked Gram Panchayats, the Chief Minister said. Odisha, Majhi said has a growing pool of talented tech professionals, a thriving startup ecosystem and an ambitious Semiconductor Policy, making it an ideal location for making a Semiconductor Hub. He sought the support of the Government of India to attract Foreign Direct Investment and State-of-the-art technology for design and manufacturing semiconductors. The Chief Minister further said the centre may consider increasing the railway density in Odisha which has a lower railway density compared to the national average. Stating that Odidh’s high forest cover limits its ability to utilize land for development projects, affecting its economic growth, Majhi urged the centre to consider incentivising Odisha to reduce its carbon footprint and render ecological services. He hoped that the meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog will bring the Central and State Governments together to work jointly as a team to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047...////...