Bhubaneswar: A high-level secretary meeting was convened today at Kharavela Bhavan under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Anu Garg. The session addressed critical administrative, financial, and developmental issues, issuing key directives to accelerate progress across departments.
The meeting opened with a focus on fire safety following recent incidents. Chief Secretary Garg directed all departments to immediately inspect electrical wiring and equipment in government buildings, undertake necessary upgrades, and implement preventive measures to avert accidents.
The Finance Department presented the financial performance for FY 2025-26 so far. Expenditure in social sector departments—including Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment, Cooperatives, and Energy—has risen compared to the previous year. Revenue collection stands at approximately 78.77% of the target. Departments were instructed to expedite spending and achieve full targets by month-end. Infrastructure-related departments’ expenditure status was also reviewed.
Discussions highlighted the “Ame Janiba Ama Budget” initiative for the 2026-27 budget. Plans include organizing budget awareness meetings at state, district, block, village, and gram sabha levels to inform citizens about the state budget and central schemes relevant to Odisha. This aims to ensure transparent and efficient implementation of developmental programs. On staffing, the General Administration and Public Grievances Department reported that out of the target to fill 65,000 vacant posts by June, 41,063 have been filled. Vigorous steps are underway to complete the remaining recruitments promptly.
The meeting reviewed implementation of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s directives, including the 15-point action plan. Emphasis was placed on the “36 for 36” initiative aligning with Odisha Vision 2036 and Viksit Bharat 2047, covering major welfare and development projects. Chief Secretary Garg directed monthly progress reviews starting April.
Additional Chief Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, presented updates on the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri-Paradeep Economic Region (BCPPER) goals and execution strategies. Training on the i-GOT Karmayogi platform was reviewed: 93% of 4,16,138 state employees (about 3.87 lakh) are onboarded, with around 2 lakh active users. Departments were tasked with boosting participation, mandating at least one course monthly per employee. Odisha has made 20 hours of annual training mandatory, linked to Performance Appraisal Reports (PAR), to enhance skills and governance efficiency.
The Secretary-level meeting was attended by Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretaries of various departments, Additional Chief Secretaries to the Chief Minister, Principal Secretaries of various departments, Commissioners and Secretaries of various departments
