Bhubaneswar:27/10/26: Marking a poignant step toward national integration and peace, Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi today flagged off a special train from the New Bhubaneswar Railway Station.
ACS Home, Industries and I&PR Shri Hemant Sharma graced the occasion. DGP Shri Vinaytosh Mishra was present.
The train carries nearly 1,000 representatives from 19 newly declared Naxal-free districts across Odisha to Gujarat’s Ekta Nagar.
They will participate in the grand National Parade near the iconic ‘Statue of Unity’ on October 31, observing the 151st birth anniversary of the Iron Man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, celebrated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day).
Addressing the media during the flag-off ceremony, Chief Minister Shri Majhi paid rich tributes to Sardar Patel, highlighting his extraordinary leadership and unwavering resolve in unifying over 550 princely states to form today’s united India.
He noted that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has honored Sardar Patel’s immense contribution by designating his birth anniversary as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas since 2014.
The Chief Minister expressed immense confidence that this year’s National Unity Parade will serve as a shining symbol of a completely Naxal-free India, with Odisha’s delegates proudly representing the state’s journey toward peace, security, and sustainable progress.
Chief Minister Shri Majhi credited the decisive leadership of Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi, along with the relentless efforts of security forces, for eradicating Naxalism and driving rapid development in previously affected regions.
He emphasized that the state is giving top priority to socio-economic growth and infrastructure building in these areas. Under the integrated ‘Gramodaya Plus’ scheme across 10 key districts, welfare initiatives are directly reaching true beneficiaries, empowering local communities and smoothly assimilating them into the national mainstream.
Adding to the spirit of development, the Chief Minister made a major announcement regarding the state’s railway infrastructure. He revealed that the Central Government has approved a new express train route connecting Puri to Badampahar in Mayurbhanj.
President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, is scheduled to inaugurate this new train service in the first week of November. The upcoming service is set to significantly boost connectivity across six key districts—Puri, Khordha, Cuttack, Jajpur, Keonjhar, and Mayurbhanj—further advancing the vision of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’.