Cuttack: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Thursday, laid foundation stones for the transformation of Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) into a world-class institute on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Diwas, which is being observed to commemorate the birth anniversary of Patnaik’s father and former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.
Patnaik laid foundations for a 3,000 bedded super-specialty hospital, accommodations for doctors and medical students and affordable lodging facility for attendants at a function organised on the Baliyatra ground here. The Chief Minister also laid foundations for an integrated sports complex in the city and six-laning of the Rong Road on the occasion.
“People from across the Odisha and even from outside depend upon SCBMCH for healthcare. There was a need to improve infrastructure at the health institute. Our motto is to transform SCBMCH into a world-class institute and provide world-class healthcare to people,” Patnaik said while speaking at the function.
Patnaik also thanked the people of Odisha for electing Biju Janata Dal (BJD) governments in state for last two decades.
The Chief Minister spoke about his family’s long association with Cuttack. “Biju Babu has grown up in Cuttack and fought against the British rule here. He had travelled to Peshawar from Cuttack on bicycle,” he said.
Ministers Naba Kishore Das, Pratap Jena, Ranendra Pratap Swain, Niranjan Pujari, Samir Ranjan Dash, Padmanabh Behera and Tukuni Sahu also spoke at the occasion. The ministers highlighted the developmental schemes launched by the BJD governments in Odisha.
They claimed that the state has witnessed development in the field of health, education, drinking water and transport under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik. The developmental schemes of the BJD governments have benefitted the 4 crore people of Odisha.
Among others, 5T Secretary VK Pandian, Revenue Divisional Commissioner Anil Samal and Cuttack collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani were present at the function.