Bhubaneswar: The state government today sought support from the Centre to develop port, industrial, railway, banking and other sectors to realise the objective of Viksit Odisha by 2036.

While participating in the ninth governing council meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi urged the Union Government to provide the necessary support to the state government to realize the goal of Viksit (Developed) Odisha by 2036, the centenary year of its formation as a separate state.

“The year 2036 marks the completion of 100 years of the statehood of Odisha. Hence, the next decade is crucial for us. 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,” said the Chief Minister at the NITI Aayog meeting.

Majhi urged the Centre to provide the required help and assistance for 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.

“To develop the port sector, we urge the Centre to transfer 4,300 acre salt pan land owned by it in Ganjam district to the state government at the earliest,” said the Chief Minister.

In his speech, Majhi also urged the Union Government to provide dedicated budget allocations and quick clearance to projects including industrial parks & corridors, electricity grids, railway infrastructure and air connectivity in Odisha.

“Odisha has a growing pool of talented tech professionals, a thriving startup ecosystem and an ambitious Semiconductor Policy, making it an ideal location for a semiconductor hub. We seek the support of Government of India for attracting Foreign Direct Investment and State-of-the-art technology for design and manufacturing semiconductors,” he said.

Claiming Odisha to be a natural disaster prone state, the Chief Minister sought financial support from the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for creation of disaster resilient infrastructure in power, telecom sectors and coastal saline embankments.

Stressing upon the green economy, Majhi sought central assistance for pumped hydro storage plants (PSPs) projects, floating solar projects and intrastate green energy transmission corridor projects in the state.

“The Government of India may expedite opening of more numbers of brick & mortar bank branches and ATMs in the unbanked/ under-banked gram panchayats of Odisha to ensure better financial inclusion. Odisha has a lower railway density compared to the national average. The Centre may consider increasing railway density in the state,” he said.

Highlighting Odisha as a mineral rich state, the Chief Minister urged the Centre to provide the required assistance to the state to move up the value chain and produce special metals and alloys for aerospace and defence sectors.