Heavy rains along the Orissa coast between Bhubaneswar and Visakhapatnam [Images] on Tuesday forced Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] to cancel his visit to the Koraput, Bolangir and Kalhandi region of the state.

Dr Singh's helicopter could not leave Bhubaneswar due to bad weather. An altered plan for the prime minister to fly to Visakhapatnam and go to Korapur from there by helicopter also had to be called off after the air force reported bad landing conditions at Koraput, prime minister's Media Adviser Sanjaya Baru said.

Dr Singh is on a two-day visit to the state. On Monday, he dedicated the Talcher thermal power station to the nation and announced the setting up of a National Institute of Science Education and Research in Bhubaneswar.

He was scheduled to visit Bolangir and Koraput districts of Orissa, part of the impoverished KBK belt on Tuesday to study the problem of poverty and rural development.

Dr Singh was also expected to interact with representatives of villages, non-government organisations and district authorities there.

The Prime Minister is leaving Bhubaneswar for New Delhi [Images] as his district tour has been cancelled, Baru said.