I am committed to make Orissa number one in country: CM Naveen Patnaik

Orissa chief minister, Naveen Patnaik today said that the state had been progressing in every field and he was committed to make Orissa a number one state in the country.

"Education, agriculture, industries and power generation in all respect Orissa has been improving", Patnaik said while appealing people to cooperate with the government.

The chief minister during his brief visit to the steel city distributed forest land pattas to adivasis and bicycles to girl students at a function here.

He also inaugurated Biju Gram Jyoti and Kutir Jyoti schemes at village Reldihi and Patrapali near Rourkela.

Addressing the gathering Patnaik said Orissa had been a leading state in the field of technical education in the country.

Students from various parts of the country had been coming to Orissa for technical eduction, he said.

With the efforts of the state government, various schemes were being implemented in rural areas to improve the lives of the villagers. Infant mortality rates in the state had been reduced, Patnaik said.

The chief minister also visited the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela and unveiled the portrait of Biju Patnaik, who laid the foundation stone of the then Regional Engineering College (REC) 50 years ago.

He also inaugurated the department of biotechnology and medical engineering in the campus.

Earlier, Patnaik inaugurated the 600mw power plant of the Vedanta at Jharsuguda, 100km from Rourkela.