President, PM to walk side by side in Odisha’s tribal hinterland
A day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi joins President Droupadi Murmu to celebrate her birthday at her in-laws’ village, Pahadpur in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, the
A day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi joins President Droupadi Murmu to celebrate her birthday at her in-laws’ village, Pahadpur in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, the remote village has been decked in traditional hues and transformed into a virtual fortress. In Pahadpur, a Santhal tribal village, every house tells a story. Its walls have come alive with colour and intricate patterns carrying floral motifs and scenes drawn from nature. It reflects a deep-rooted artistic tradition that the Santhal community has preserved across generations. In the remote village, a school established by Ms. Murmu in memory of her husband and two sons, who are no longer alive, has been decorated. Students brimming with excitement are preparing to welcome Ms. Murmu and Mr. Modi.
It is a rare and remarkable moment—when the President, India’s First Citizen and holder of the nation’s highest constitutional office, and the Prime Minister, head of the executive and the country’s most powerful political leader, will walk side by side through a tribal village surrounded by forests. Development and infrastructure projects worth over ₹40,000 crore are likely to be announced PM on Saturday (June 20, 2026). Due to rough weather, President Ms. Murmu could not land in her home town of Rairangpur. She travelled from West Bengal to bordering town of Rairangpur in Odisha by road on Friday. She was welcomed by Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati and Chief Minister Mohan Majhi. At Rairangpur, she inaugurated new hospital building and satellite centre of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar.
PM is scheduled to lay foundation stone of ₹25,016 crore-coal gasification project at Lakhanpur in Jharsuguda district, a step towards security energy security. According to press statement released by Centre, India is the world’s second-largest producer and consumer of coal, with Coal India Limited being the largest coal-producing company globally. The Lakhanpur project is said to be India’s first commercial-scale coal-to-ammonium nitrate facility being developed by Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Limited (BCGCL), a joint venture of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and Coal India Limited (CIL). It will produce 2,000 tonnes per day of ammonium nitrate using indigenously developed coal gasification technology by BHEL. President Ms. Murmu will dedicate two important multi-tracking railway projects worth over ₹732 crore to the Nation at Rairangpur in the august presence of Mr. Modi.
The BriefWire