Bhubaneswar: The schedule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his visit to Odisha has been adjusted due to the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast of adverse weather conditions in the state resulting from a low-pressure area, officials stated on Tuesday. The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) announced that the Prime Minister will now address a public gathering in Jharsuguda on September 27 instead of the originally planned event in Berhampur. This venue change is a precautionary step following IMD’s warning of heavy rainfall and unfavorable conditions in parts of southern Odisha.
Odisha’s Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari had previously indicated the possibility of relocating the event due to the expected low pressure system forming in the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast on Thursday. According to the Revenue Minister, the Odisha government submitted a report to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) recommending a new venue for Modi’s program. After receiving confirmation from the PMO, the state government on Tuesday declared that the event will take place in Jharsuguda on September 27. The Prime Minister was initially set to take part in the Seva Parv program and inaugurate several development projects on that day.
These projects include expanding the capacity of eight IITs, doubling the Koraput-Baiguda and Manabar-Koraput-Gorapur railway lines, and inaugurating the Sambalpur-Sarala flyover. Additionally, the Prime Minister is poised to launch BSNL’s domestically developed 4G network services nationwide. He is also expected to announce the upgrade of MKCG and VIMSAR medical colleges to world-class super-speciality institutions and inaugurate a national skill development initiative. This marks the Prime Minister’s sixth visit to Odisha since the BJP came to power in the state last year. The IMD in Bhubaneswar had earlier forecast that a new low-pressure area is anticipated to develop over the northwest and adjoining central Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast on Thursday.