Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah today inaugurated development initiatives of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and OMFED in Odisha’s capital city, Bhubaneswar. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various projects of the Odisha government.
The Union Home and Cooperation Minister also inaugurated Sulphuric Acid Plant-III in Paradip and addressed a Cooperative Development Seminar. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, along with many other dignitaries, were present on the occasion.
On the occasion, while addressing the gathering, Shah said that today is a very important day for the development of Odisha because development works worth Rs 3,770 crore have been inaugurated and foundation stones laid in a single day. He said that a large sulphuric acid plant of IFFCO has been inaugurated today in Paradip, through which IFFCO will now become self-reliant in sulphuric acid production. He added that in the coming days, IFFCO and KRIBHCO will jointly make the entire country self-reliant in sulphuric acid.
HM Amit Shah said that today, three projects of the Ministry of Home Affairs, four projects of the Ministry of Cooperation, and 173 projects of the Odisha Government have been inaugurated or had their foundation stones laid.
Out of the 173 projects of the Odisha Government, 61 projects costing Rs 1,230 crore have been completed and 112 projects costing Rs 2,116 crore are being inaugurated today.
He said that two special initiatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs have also been undertaken today — the foundation stone for the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) campus in Odisha has been laid and a temporary campus has also been inaugurated. He said that these courses will provide numerous opportunities for students of forensic science in Odisha, with job-oriented programmes that ensure employment upon graduation, thereby strengthening the law-and-order system of the country.
The Union Minister said that an exhibition explaining the three new criminal laws in simple language understandable to common citizens, lawyers, members of the judiciary, and police officers has also been inaugurated today.
He said that after nearly 150 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is now being governed through laws enacted by the Indian Parliament in accordance with the Constitution of India and aimed at protecting the legal rights of the people of India. He said that through these laws, by 2028 justice will be delivered up to the Supreme Court within three years in any FIR.
He stated that these laws are among the most modern and scientific legal frameworks in the world. Shah said that in all crimes punishable with more than seven years of imprisonment, visits by Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams have been made mandatory. He added that the Modi Government is establishing Forensic Science Laboratories and campuses of the National Forensic Sciences University across the country.
Shah said that Odisha has achieved a conviction rate of more than 87 percent in FIRs registered under the new criminal laws. He said that criminals are now being punished through a scientific approach and scientific evidence. He added that the foundation stone for NFSU and CFSL has also been laid here today. The campus will be fully operational in three years, will offer 30 courses, and around 2,500 students will receive education here.
The Home Minister said that Odisha Government projects have also progressed today. Branches for cyber crime and economic offences have been launched in 20 districts. He also said that several programmes related to the cooperative sector have been initiated here. The work of restarting the Badamba Sugar Mill by Indian Potash Limited (IPL) has been completed. He further said that Indian Potash Limited, with the support of the Ministry of Cooperation, is ready to restart all closed sugar mills in India.
Shah said that Odisha has abundant water resources and enormous potential in the dairy sector. He said that the previous government did nothing for cooperatives or dairy development in the state. He said that the Ministry of Cooperation and the Odisha government will work together to build a strong cooperative base in every village, on the lines of Amul, by integrating dairies across the state.
He added that the Odisha government has fulfilled its promise of procuring rice at Rs 3,100 per quintal in a very short time. Shah also said that under the Subhadra Yojana, benefits have been extended to one crore women. He said that a special campaign will be launched for the formation of dairy cooperatives, which will help bring prosperity to rural citizens of Odisha, particularly mothers and sisters.
He further stated that the main opposition party is attempting to take the country’s politics in a negative direction. He said that during the AI Summit held in New Delhi, workers of the main opposition party attempted to defame India by removing their clothes, an act that deserves strong condemnation.
He said that development in Odisha had stalled for more than two decades. The previous government considered the public mandate as a sign of helplessness among the people. He said that a public mandate is not the helplessness of the people but their blessing. In a democracy, those who come to power have the responsibility to fulfill the expectations of the people, stand with them in their joys and sorrows, and work for prosperity, peace, and development.
He said that even after ruling for 20 years, the previous government had stalled Odisha’s development. He added that the people of Odisha gave 20 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats to Prime Minister Modi and once again formed the Modi Government at the Centre and a full-majority government in Odisha.
He said that the Modi Government and the Odisha Government will together make up for two decades of lost development within five years.
Shah said that the Modi Government has created new dimensions of development in states like Assam, Tripura, and Uttarakhand and has ensured that development reaches every citizen. He said that Prime Minister Modi is working tirelessly for the prosperity of the entire nation.
He said that from 2021 until now, eight Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have been signed in six years. He stated that FTAs were signed with Mauritius in 2021; with the UAE and Australia in 2022; with four EFTA countries in 2024; with the UK, Oman, and New Zealand in 2025; and with the European Union in 2026, thereby accelerating India’s development.
He said that India recorded an 8.2 per cent growth rate in the previous quarter of the current financial year and is expected to grow at around 8 per cent in the present quarter as well. He said that India has become the fastest-growing economy in the world and this momentum will continue.
The Union Home and Cooperation Minister said that Odisha has suffered the scourge of Naxalism for decades. Under the leadership of PM Modi, the central government launched a decisive fight to eliminate Naxalism.
He expressed confidence that by March 31, 2026, the country will be free from Naxalism. He said that the government is committed to accelerating development in all Naxal-affected regions.
He added that the government is dedicated to working at double speed for the development of every tribal who had been deprived of development due to Naxalism. Shah said that under the leadership of CM Majhi and PM Modi, both the Odisha Government and the Indian government are committed to the development of Odisha.
Earlier, Shah inaugurated Sulphuric Acid Plant-III at Paradip and addressed a Cooperative Development Seminar. He said that the double-engine government formed by the people of Odisha will soon bring the state into the list of developed states.
He said that the previous government had made no plans for tribal welfare, coastal development, or urban development in Odisha. Today, Odisha is moving forward by exploring the optimism of New India, the originality of Odisha, and the opportunities of Odisha.
Shah said that a new cooperative policy for Odisha will be announced today. He said that the government will soon start a programme to expand dairy cooperatives to every village of Odisha, similar to Gujarat. He also said that fisheries will be strengthened through cooperative power, which will significantly benefit seafood exports.
The HM further stated that the Indian government and the Odisha government will work together through the cooperative sector to bring prosperity to poor farmers, rural communities, and especially mothers and sisters. He said that the third stream of the sulphuric acid plant at IFFCO’s Paradip unit has been inaugurated today. He said that in 2005, IFFCO purchased this plant for Rs 2,577 crore, when its capacity was 7.5 lakh metric tonnes. Today, its capacity has increased to 22 lakh metric tonnes. About 15 per cent of production is blended fertilizer and about 40 per cent is indigenous DAP.
Shah said that sulphuric acid required in fertiliser factories and chemical industries across the country should be produced at IFFCO’s Paradip unit. He said that IFFCO has launched a movement to reduce excessive use of chemical fertilisers through Nano Urea, Nano DAP, and the PM-PRANAM scheme (PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness Generation, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth), which will help conserve the soil. He added that IFFCO has become the largest cooperative unit in the world in this sector.
The Union Home Minister said that whatever IFFCO earns ultimately benefits five crore farmers of the country, which is its greatest strength. He said that wherever IFFCO’s factories may be located, the owners are the five crore farmers of India. IFFCO’s turnover of more than Rs 41,000 crore, profit of more than Rs 3,800 crore, and net worth exceeding Rs 28,000 crore belong to these five crore farmers — and this is the true miracle of the cooperative model.
Amit Shah said that under the leadership of PM Modi, the India government and Odisha government will continue to work through the cooperative sector to make poor farmers, rural communities, and particularly women self-reliant.
