Bhubaneswar: A one-day Review-cum-Sensitization Workshop on the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) & Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) was held today at the Lok Seva Bhavan under the chairpersonship of Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja.
The workshop, organized by the Planning & Convergence Department, Government of Odisha, saw the participation of key stakeholders from both state and central governments. The ADP & ABP team from NITI Aayog, led by Gitanjali Gupta, Additional Secretary to the Government of India and Mission Director for ADP & ABP, delivered a detailed presentation covering all aspects of the two programmes to sensitize the participants. Dr. Pravakar Sahoo, Programme Director and State Adviser for Odisha, NITI Aayog, also graced the occasion.
Secretaries of key State Departments, including Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment, Health & Family Welfare, School & Mass Education, attended the workshop.
Additionally, the 16 Collectors of the Aspirational Districts and Aspirational Blocks, along with their CDO-cum-EOs, Zilla Parishad and Deputy Directors of the District Planning and Monitoring Unit (DPMU), the nodal office for the programme in the districts, were present. The Block Development Officers of the 29 Aspirational Blocks joined virtually.
In her welcome address, Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Anu Garg emphasized the importance of achieving saturation of the ADP & ABP indicators, noting that this would contribute significantly to reducing multidimensional poverty and advancing the State’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She highlighted that these programmes play a vital role in localizing the SDGs through the convergence of efforts across departments, ensuring coordinated and effective delivery of benefits to the last mile.
Chief Secretary Ahuja, in his keynote address, provided an overview of the history and objectives of the ADP & ABP. He encouraged stakeholders to view the challenges faced by Odisha, such as geographic isolation, infrastructure gaps, and capacity constraints, as opportunities for innovation and growth.
Gupta, Mission Director for ADP & ABP, NITI Aayog, presented the core strategies of the programmes, urging all stakeholders to intensify their efforts during the ongoing ‘Sampoornata Abhiyan’ to achieve the saturation of selected indicators.
The State’s perspective was presented by Manish Agarwal, Additional Secretary, ADP & ABP, Planning & Convergence Department. His presentation highlighted the year-on-year performance of Aspirational Districts across five thematic sectors, the status of various ongoing projects, and the ongoing recruitment of Aspirational Block Fellows to enhance the implementation of the Block Development Strategy.
The workshop also featured presentations by Collectors from Barpeta of Assam Ayush Garg who attended the programme physically, DC Saraikela Karsawan, Jharkhand Ravi Shankar Shukla and former Deputy Commissioner of Baramula, J&K – Dr. Syed Sehrish Asgar attended virtually and shared their experiences and best practices. Additionally, Collectors from Koraput and Mayurbhanj Districts showcased the initiatives undertaken in their respective districts under the ADP & ABP
