PM Modi and President Murmu Jointly Visit Tribal Village, Launch Solar and Development Projects
In a significant display of constitutional decorum, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Pahadpur, a remote tribal village in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district, on Saturday. The President, who is the first tribal woman to hold the highest office, personally guided the Prime Minister through her in-laws' village, explaining the local Santhal traditions and the significance of the Jahera sacred site.
The visit began with a traditional welcome as villagers in customary attire performed folk dances to the beat of drums. President Murmu had arrived earlier to oversee preparations, while the Prime Minister flew in by an Indian Air Force helicopter. He also extended birthday wishes to the President, who turned 68 on the day. In a social media post, Mr. Modi praised her journey of courage and public service, particularly her work for the underprivileged.
During the visit, Mr. Modi announced that Pahadpur would be developed as a 'solar village', with solar panels to be installed in every household. He also interacted with students at a skill development centre established after Ms. Murmu became President in 2022, and at a school she founded in memory of her late husband and two sons.
Later, at a public meeting in Dandbose, Rairangpur, to mark two years of the BJP government in Odisha, both leaders inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth over ₹47,000 crore. These include a ₹25,016-crore coal gasification unit, power projects worth ₹6,000 crore, and ₹700-crore railway infrastructure works. The Prime Minister emphasised the Centre's focus on developing eastern India, which he said had remained underdeveloped during previous Congress regimes. He noted that Odisha has received investment proposals of ₹20 lakh crore, with projects worth ₹3.5 lakh crore already underway.
Chief Minister Mohan Majhi also addressed the gathering, listing the achievements of his two-year-old government. President Murmu thanked the Prime Minister for fulfilling his commitment to visit Pahadpur despite his recent foreign tour, and congratulated him on becoming India's longest-serving Prime Minister. The visit highlighted the coordination between the two highest constitutional offices and the government's focus on tribal welfare and regional development.
