Baripada, Sep 14: Baripada is abuzz with anticipation as Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is set to visit Mayurbhanj district on Monday, marking his first official tour of the region since the general elections.

His visit is expected to energize local stakeholders and bring renewed focus to educational and infrastructural development in the district.

Union Minister Pradhan will arrive in Baripada via road from Balasore around 8 am, where he will be welcomed at Kalama Chhak with a grand reception. The visit includes multiple stops, beginning with Betnoti, where he is expected to announce NAC (Notified Area Council) status for the town—an upgrade that promises better civic amenities and governance.

In the Morada constituency, two new NACs — Chitrada and Rasgovindpur — have also been declared, and residents of Dantia Muha are preparing a ceremonial welcome for the Union Education Minister. A massive bike rally with over 500 participants will escort him from Palabani bypass to Baripada stadium.

One of the key highlights of the visit will be the inauguration of a sports hostel near Baripada stadium, a project initiated during his tenure as Petroleum Minister in 2019 with support from Indian Oil Corporation. Additionally, he will lay foundation stones for the renovation of Chhaupadiya and Jubilee Park under the state’s Urban Development initiatives.

From 11 am to 1 pm, Union Minister Pradhan will attend an educational review meeting at Shaheed Smruti Bhavan near the District Collector’s office, joined by Odisha’s Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, School Education Minister Nityananda Gond, and other dignitaries including MPs and MLAs from Mayurbhanj and Balasore.

Post-lunch at Baripada Circuit House, he will inaugurate a cultural program featuring Jhumer folk artists at Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University auditorium. His visit will conclude with a departure to Bhubaneswar via Balasore railway station at 4 pm.