Bhubaneswar, 27 October (H.S.): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday flagged off a special train from Bhubaneswar New Railway Station to Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, carrying around 1,000 representatives from 19 Naxal-free districts of the state. The representatives will participate in the National Unity Day parade to be held near the Statue of Unity on October 31, marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The delegation will represent Odisha as a symbol of peace, security and progress at the national-level event in Ekta Nagar.

Speaking to the media after flagging off the train, Majhi paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and said that through his exceptional leadership and firm resolve, Patel had united more than 550 princely states, laying the foundation for an integrated India.

The Chief Minister said that since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, Patel’s birth anniversary has been observed every year as National Unity Day to honour his contribution to the nation. He expressed confidence that this year’s national-level parade would reflect the vision of a Naxal-free India.

Majhi said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the efforts of security forces at the national and state levels, the country and Odisha had become free from Naxalism and were progressing rapidly towards development.

He said infrastructure creation, along with social and economic development, was being accorded the highest priority in areas previously affected by Naxalism.

In particular, various public welfare schemes are being delivered in an integrated manner to eligible beneficiaries in 10 affected districts through the ‘Gramodaya Plus’ initiative. The programme aims to ensure that people in these areas benefit from government schemes and become part of the mainstream development process.

The Chief Minister said collective efforts by the country’s 1.4 billion people were continuing to realise the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’.

The Chief Minister also announced a new development in Odisha’s railway infrastructure, stating that the Central Government had approved an express train service between Puri and Badampahar in Mayurbhanj district.

President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to flag off the new train service in the first week of November, Majhi said.

The proposed service is expected to strengthen rail connectivity across six districts—Puri, Khordha, Cuttack, Jajpur, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj—improving transportation links and facilitating travel for people across these regions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda