Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday praised chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, calling him a “popular and hard-working” leader.

Addressing a massive youth convention in Jharsuguda, Modi lauded Majhi, handpicked last year to head Odisha’s first BJP government.

The endorsement further cements Majhi’s standing within the party. The chief minister had been camping in Jharsuguda for three days to oversee preparations for the Prime Minister’s visit.

Recalling his 2024 campaign in Odisha, Modi said: “The people had resolved to move forward with a new commitment — towards a developed Odisha. The state is progressing rapidly with the momentum of its governments at the Centre and in Bhubaneswar."

Congratulating Majhi’s team, Modi said he was happy to hand over approval letters under the Antyodaya Griha Yojana. Personally handing them to five beneficiaries, he said: “When a poor family receives a pucca house, it transforms both present and future.”

Stating that his government has built over four crore houses nationwide, Modi praised Odisha’s pace of construction. “Thousands of homes are being constructed rapidly. I congratulate chief minister Majhi and his team,” he said. He also hailed the Subhadra scheme for women launched soon after the BJP formed the government in the state.

The Prime Minister flagged off the Amrit Bharat Express from Berhampur to Surat, benefitting the large Odia migrant community there. He also inaugurated projects worth over ₹1,700 crore. “Under the PM Janman Yojana, more than 40,000 houses have been sanctioned for Odisha’s tribal families,” he said.

Modi said Odisha, long burdened by poverty, would see prosperity in the coming decade. He announced two semiconductor units and a park in the state, envisioning Odisha as a hub for chip manufacturing.