Odisha CM tells ‘King Kansa’ about Rs 1,362-crore development push
At the Dhanu Jatra festival in Bargarh, CM Mohan Charan Majhi symbolically presents details of major development works and new projects to King Kansa
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, on Tuesday (December 30), symbolically appeared before the “court of demon king Kansa” at the annual Dhanu Jatra in Bargarh, informing the mythical ruler about development initiatives undertaken by his government in the district.
Majhi joined the festival on Tuesday night, riding an elephant to the ‘Darbar’ (royal court) of Kansa, a central spectacle of the event, which depicts the defeat of King Kansa by Lord Krishna. Bargarh is traditionally portrayed as Mathura Nagari, where Lord Krishna exhibited his power.
123 projects worth Rs 1,362 crore launched
During the enactment, the demon king questioned the chief minister on the steps taken for the development of Mathura Nagari. Majhi responded by detailing 123 development projects worth Rs 1,362 crore that have been launched for the district.
He also announced four additional projects involving an expenditure of about Rs 380 crore.
The chief minister said foundation stones were laid for 85 projects worth Rs 980.58 crore, while 38 projects costing Rs 382.26 crore were inaugurated in Bargarh district.
Women-centric schemes and farmer support
Majhi highlighted women-centric initiatives such as Subhadra Yojana, under which 3,41,614 women in Bargarh have received financial assistance of Rs 10,000 each per annum.
He also said that during the 2024–25 kharif and rabi seasons, paddy procurement from 2,41,135 farmers totalled nearly 13.99 lakh metric tonnes, with payments and input assistance amounting to Rs 4,338 crore.
The demon king, according to the enactment, expressed happiness over the work of the chief minister.
New projects announced for Bargarh
The chief minister announced several new projects, including the construction of a sewage treatment plant on the Jira River, development of a vending zone at Hatpada, construction of a modern bus terminal, and an inland water reservoir at Grindola. These four projects will involve an expenditure of about Rs 380 crore.
Dhanu Jatra as “cultural economy”
Addressing the gathering, Majhi described Dhanu Jatra as a model of India’s “cultural economy”, calling it an example of spirituality embedded in social life.
He announced an increase in the state grant for the festival from Rs 1 crore to Rs 1.5 crore. More than 200 prominent artists participating in the Dhanu Jatra were honoured with Rs 10,000 each.
The chief minister laid the foundation stone for a Rangamahal (theatre complex) for the annual festival, to be built at a cost of around Rs 12.80 crore.
“The state government has been taking measures to secure UNESCO recognition for the festival,” Majhi said.
From the symbolic court of Kansa, the chief minister also gave a call against corruption.
Dhanu Jatra is an 11-day festival, and Majhi joined the celebrations on the seventh day.
(With agency inputs)