G20 Sherpa Kant reviews devpt projects in Jharsuguda | Bhubaneswar News
Jharsuguda: India’s G20 Sherpa and former CEO of NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant, on Monday reviewed a range of ongoing and upcoming development projects in Jharsuguda. His visit focused on educational initiatives, airport expansion, railway station development, mining and industrial infrastructure.Speaking to the media, Kant said, “As per the direction of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, I was requested to visit Jharsuguda and meet with the district administration. He sought my expertise in industrial development and policy implementation to assess the district’s growth potential. I had fruitful discussions with the district collector, DFO and Jharsuguda MLA.”Kant noted significant progress in education, particularly in improving learning outcomes. “We reviewed completed works, identified pending initiatives and discussed strategies to transform Jharsuguda into one of India’s leading districts. With collaborative efforts, Jharsuguda has the potential to emerge as the No. 1 district in the country,” he added.He highlighted the district’s strategic importance, citing its substantial contributions to coal mining, power generation and industrial output. Kant emphasised the need to improve the Human Development Index and Physical Quality of Life Index to match economic growth.Key focus areas of discussion included enhancing learning outcomes, health indicators and nutritional standards. The team also deliberated on strengthening the sports ecosystem and establishing a premier skill development institute to address the manpower shortage in industries.Addressing environmental concerns, Kant stressed the importance of scientific fly ash management through its use in brick manufacturing and road construction. He also discussed Jharsuguda MLA Tankadhar Tripathy’s vision of transforming the area into a green city through large-scale plantation drives.Further deliberations included expediting infrastructure projects such as railway station redevelopment and national highway works. “These issues will be followed up in Delhi, and we will look into more avenues to accelerate Jharsuguda’s holistic development,” Kant assured.Tripathy said, “I thank the Union minister for sending Kant to our district. His expertise offers valuable insight into our development roadmap. We held comprehensive discussions on transforming Jharsuguda into a green and leading district, with focus on key sectors such as education, groundwater and infrastructure.”
