Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Thursday chaired a secretaries-level meeting at Kharavel Bhavan here to review departmental expenditure and revenue collection up to the end of April, while directing officials to accelerate implementation of major government schemes and projects.
The meeting, attended by senior bureaucrats including the Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and Commissioner-cum-Secretaries of various departments, reviewed expenditure trends in key sectors such as infrastructure, social development, agriculture and industry.
Officials were instructed to expedite utilisation of funds and prioritise implementation of important schemes and programmes announced in the state budget.
The meeting also reviewed compliance on various directions and observations issued by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi through official U.O.I. notes. Departments yet to furnish responses were asked to submit compliance reports at the earliest.
During the meeting, the concerned department’s Commissioner-cum-Secretary made a presentation on Jal Jeevan Mission-2.0, focusing on ensuring continuous rural drinking water supply through enhanced inter-departmental coordination and cooperation.
At the outset, Ganjam District Collector Kirtivasan V. delivered a presentation outlining 25 major developmental initiatives for the district in alignment with the state’s “Odisha Vision” goals. The presentation received appreciation from the participants.
Among the major proposals highlighted were plans to develop Gopalpur into a world-class tourism destination, development of the Bahuda deep-sea port, comprehensive urban expansion of Berhampur, implementation of the Pipalpanka irrigation project, development of Aryapalli fishing harbour, expansion of National Highway-16 into a six-lane corridor, construction of the Kansariganda intra-river reservoir project on the Rushikulya river, and provision of mega piped water supply to all remaining blocks of the district.
The Collector also outlined plans for completion of the Berhampur bypass road and proposed upgradation of Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati Medical College and Hospital into an AIIMS-plus category super-specialty institution.
Other proposals included establishment of a Textile Park in Ganjam, promotion of ancillary industries based on kewra collection for perfume production and dried fish processing, construction of a Kalinga Stadium-model sports complex in Berhampur, setting up a World Skill Centre, development of the Maa Tarini riverfront, establishment of model schools and Anganwadi centres, tourism clusters, ideal PACS, lamp manufacturing units, and expansion of employment and livelihood opportunities aimed at reducing distress migration.
The District Collector also presented a roadmap for timely completion of the proposed projects.
Secretaries of the concerned departments assured full cooperation for implementation of the proposals. Chief Secretary Anu Garg also suggested measures for urban redevelopment to reduce congestion in Berhampur and stressed the need for creation of MSME clusters in the region.
