Bhubaneswar/Jajpur: Uni-on petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday urged chief minister Naveen Patnaik to rise above party politics and extend co-operation to central projects to ensure Odisha's development.

Laying the foundation stone for the new 36-inch Dhamra-Angul main pipeline and the 12-inch Bhubaneshwar-Cuttack-Paradip spur line at Haripur, Sukinda, in Jajpur district, Pradhan said: "If Naveen babu comes one step forward, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will march three steps ahead. We are ever-ready to bring about all-round development of Odisha, keeping politics aside."

He said: "The 600km natural gas pipeline project is a New Year's gift for the people of the coastal districts from the Modi government."

Pradhan also asked the state government not to spend the district mineral fund (DMF) in the state-sponsored Rs 5 Ahaar yojana or Re 1 per kg rice schemes for cheap popularity.

He said: "Following a Supreme Court directive the prime minister has made a mechanism for it to be spent only in the respective districts." Pradhan also asked the Tata Group to extend its CSR activities and be a part of Odisha's development.

He hinted that the pipeline project would provide employment to 2,000 youths of the area directly and 10,000 more indirectly.