Bhubaneswar, Jan 15 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday the Centre is striving hard for the development of eastern India, including Odisha, as he launched projects worth Rs 1,550 crore.

"We have either inaugurated or laid the foundation stones of projects worth Rs 1,550 crore. They are aimed at improving education, connectivity, culture and tourism," he said at Bolangir.

"When a region has good connectivity, it positively impacts all sectors, especially tourism," he added.

Odisha has become a tourism hub for all types of tourists and the Centre has been engaged in developing the heritage sites in the state over the last four years.

The projects that were inaugurated include the 28.3 acre Multi-Modal Logistics (MMLP) Jharsuguda, the Balangir-Bicchupalli new railway line, doubling of Barpali-Dungaripali and Bolangir-Deogaon road line along with electrification of 813 km of Jharsuguda-Vizinagaram and Sambalpur-Angul lines.

The Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Jharsuguda is built at a cost of Rs 100 crore. It will facilitate EXIM and domestic cargo, including Private Freight Traffic.

The Prime Minister also laid foundation stones for renovation and restoration works at Asurgarh Fort in Kalahandi.

He inaugurated a bridge between Therubali-Singapur Road station and Passport Sewa Kendras at six places -- Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Puri, Kandhamal, Bargarh and Bolangir -- through video conferencing.

"With the inauguration of six new Post Office Passport Seva Kendras, now the people of Odisha wouldn't have to travel very far to get their passports," he said.

He also laid the foundation stone for a permanent building at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Sonepur.