Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said eastern India, which remained backward during the Congress rule, was now emerging as a gateway to progress and development.Addressing a public meeting at Rairangpur in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district after unveiling projects worth over Rs 47,600 crore, Modi said Odisha was rapidly moving ahead on the path of development.”Eastern India, which remained backward during the Congress rule, is now emerging as a gateway to progress and development,” he said.Modi said the Centre’s vision was to develop the country through the development of eastern India, and that the government was working on the policy of ‘Purvodaya’.”Odisha is rapidly progressing on the path of development. The vision of the Centre is to develop India through the development of eastern India. That is why we are working on the policy of ‘Purvodaya’,” he said.The PM said the BJP government in Odisha was converting the state’s resources into opportunities and claimed that investment proposals worth nearly Rs 20 lakh crore had so far been received.He also extended birthday greetings to President Droupadi Murmu, saying she had strengthened Odisha’s identity.