Bhubaneswar, March 9: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik is working overtime to project a pro-tribal image to counter the tribal card being played by the Opposition.

He today flew to Koraput to inaugurate many projects. “I am here to inaugurate a number of schemes for the welfare and development of the people of this district,” he said.

Only a week ago on March 2, Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh and Union tribal affairs minister V.K. Kishore Deo visited Kalahandi and attended a number of programmes.

Ramesh has visited various pockets of the undivided KBK regions thrice within a month as a pre-poll exercise to woo the tribal voters. Of 27 Congress MLAs, 13 are scheduled tribe and three scheduled caste.

As the Congress planned to stage a demonstration opposing the chief minister’s visit, local police detained around 40 Congress workers, including former MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati.

Naveen launched the free ambulance service system at Jeypore in Koraput. People of this district can avail themselves of the service by dialling 108.

He also inaugurated 100-bed hostels for students of Koraput district Government College and a skill development centre.

For the girls, the chief minister inaugurated a 300-bed hostel at Kanimusha village in the district and a waterpipe scheme in the Sunabeda municipal area in Koraput.