Keonjhar to Become Odisha’s Third Steel City: CM Majhi

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday announced that Keonjhar will become Odisha’s third ‘Steel City’ after Rourkela and Kalinganagar. The announcement was made during an event in Keonjhar, where he laid the foundation stone for the ₹313-crore peripheral development project at the Maa Tarini temple in Ghatagaon, his native district.

The Chief Minister revealed that a 6-MTPA mega steel plant will be established in the Patna area of Keonjhar through a collaboration between Korean steel major POSCO and JSW Steel, one of India’s leading steelmakers. He added that the state government has initiated the process to develop a new economic zone comprising Keonjhar, Barbil and Joda, aimed at strengthening the region’s industrial footprint.

Majhi announced several key infrastructure projects to boost connectivity in the district. These include six-laning of major roads linking mines and industries in Keonjhar, construction of a four-lane ring road in Barbil at a cost of ₹2,300 crore, and allocation of ₹428 crore for a bypass road in Keonjhar. He said the Union Government has also started work on an eight-lane road connecting Barbil in Keonjhar to Paradip in Jagatsinghpur. While the Paradip–Chandikhol stretch is under construction, survey work is underway for the Chandikhol–Barbil portion.

In addition to industrial and road infrastructure, the Chief Minister announced several new projects for Keonjhar district. These include a ₹168-crore tech park, a ₹150-crore OCAC data centre, and a ₹150-crore textile park. A data recovery centre will also be set up at Dharanidhar University with an investment of ₹187 crore.

The government has further allocated ₹103 crore for the development of the Raisuan airstrip, ₹180 crore for the construction of a new stadium in Keonjhar, and ₹50 crore for infrastructure development at Sanaghagara waterfall. These initiatives collectively aim to transform Keonjhar into a major industrial and economic hub in Odisha.