Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the fourth day of the National-Level Tribal Festival Parva-2025 and launched 86 development projects worth Rs 545 crore for Koraput district on the occasion, according to an official release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
Since 1996, Parva has been making sustained efforts to preserve and promote the art, culture, traditions and history of Koraput. The festival has helped awaken social and cultural consciousness while bringing many hidden talents into the public domain, Chief Minister Majhi said on Sunday while attending the fourth evening of the event.
The Chief Minister launched 86 development projects for Koraput district, including the inauguration of 16 projects worth Rs 24 crore and the laying of foundation stones for 70 projects worth Rs 521 crore. These projects include irrigation works, health centres, small industries, urban hostels, bridges, roads, Mission Shakti Bhawans, Forest Protection Committee buildings, and additional classrooms. He said these initiatives would significantly contribute to the development of Koraput.
Attending the fourth day of the five-day festival as chief guest at the Shaheed Laxman Nayak Manch in Koraput, the Chief Minister paid tribute to Shaheed Laxman Nayak and other freedom fighters of the district. He said Koraput, blessed with unparalleled natural beauty, is known worldwide as a unique gift of nature. The soil of Koraput, he added, plays an important role in fostering peace, simplicity and love in society.
He further noted that products such as coffee, black cumin seeds and Kotpad sarees originating from Koraput have earned a distinct identity not only in Odisha but also across the country and abroad.
The Chief Minister said Koraput is also known for millet production, referred to as Sri Anna. Millet is currently cultivated across nearly 72,000 hectares in the district under the Anna Abhiyan. He appreciated the efforts of Dr Raimati Ghiuria, a leading woman farmer of the district and a custodian of millet cultivation.
Stating that the mantra of his government is development and heritage, CM Majhi said the state government is committed to strengthening the social and economic development of the Koraput region.
He also advised farmers to engage in allied agricultural activities such as fisheries, poultry and duck farming along with traditional agriculture.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister Gokulanand Mallick said the tribal culture of Koraput is extremely rich and emphasised the collective responsibility to take its traditions and heritage to the wider public.
Under the leadership of the Chief Minister, the state government is working towards the preservation and promotion of tribal culture, the release stated.
Minister for Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste Development Nityanand Gand said the government takes pride in the state’s culture, traditions and heritage, adding that Parva is a beautiful programme that helps keep these traditions alive. He said the festival has given Koraput a unique identity.
Among others, Koraput MP Saptagiri Ullaka, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi, Pattangi MLA Ramachandra Kadam, Kotpad MLA Rupu Bhatra and Laxmipur MLA Pitavat Sauntha extended greetings to the people of the district on the occasion of the grand Parva festival. They said that after Bali Yatra, the Parva of Koraput has enhanced Odisha’s reputation at the national and international levels and thanked the Chief Minister for attending the festival.
(ANI)
