Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Friday reviewed the implementation of key development projects and government schemes with District Collectors, directing them to expedite land acquisition, strengthen public service delivery and ensure timely execution of projects across Odisha.
The meeting, held at Lok Seva Bhawan, was attended by Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Hemant Sharma and secretaries of various departments. District Collectors joined the meeting virtually.
Issues concerning Home, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Water Resources, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare, Health and Family Welfare, Agriculture, School and Mass Education, Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts, MSME, Mission Shakti and Cooperation departments, among others, came up for discussion.
As part of the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ campaign, Additional Chief Secretary Hemant Sharma advised Collectors and Superintendents of Police to convene District-level Narco Coordination Committee meetings every three months to curb illegal narcotics trafficking and intensify public awareness activities.
He also directed the Collectors to identify government land immediately for setting up regional disaster-response hubs at Balasore, Kataka, Brahmapur, Rayagada and Sambalpur. The proposed hubs will facilitate rapid deployment of equipment during disasters. He further called for shifting various offices, police stations and enforcement units of the Excise Department to the designated regional hubs.
The Energy Department asked Collectors to promptly resolve issues relating to environmental clearances, land availability and local constraints to facilitate electricity connections by distribution companies to Gram Panchayats and villages in the identified districts.
Reviewing paddy procurement arrangements, the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department emphasised improving procurement infrastructure, augmenting godown capacity and expediting the tender process for transportation of paddy and rice from mandis to mills and subsequently to depots.
The Housing and Urban Development Department asked Collectors to accelerate land acquisition and transfer for the Bhubaneswar water supply project and irrigation and sanitation projects in Rourkela and Balangir.
In compliance with Supreme Court directions, Collectors were also instructed to strengthen solid waste management across all 30 districts through strict enforcement of regulations, formation of special cells, registration of bulk waste generators and strengthening of District Urban Development Agencies (DUDA).
Under the ‘TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan’, district-level committees have been constituted in all districts, with Class-I officers nominated at the block level. The Health Secretary made a presentation on screening of targeted populations, X-ray examinations and assistance to beneficiaries under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana. Collectors were asked to improve district-level performance to ensure effective implementation of the campaign.
The Agriculture Department directed Collectors to review farmer registration on a daily basis, with particular attention to villages reporting low registration. They were also asked to expedite identification and transfer of land for automatic weather stations under the SWIFT (Weather Information Data System) project and closely monitor the quality and proper distribution and utilisation of seeds, pesticides and vegetable minikits being provided to flood-affected farmers under the Chief Minister’s Special Flood Relief Package.
For implementation of the Chief Minister Handloom Development Scheme, Collectors were asked to regularly review progress, expedite land acquisition and identify suitable sites for Handloom Hubs and Tasar Silk Parks. Directions were also issued to provide land for sericulture development, review construction of basic centres under the Craftsmen Improvement Scheme and District Handicraft Offices, promote the ‘Sujanika’ brand and take immediate steps to facilitate bank loan sanctions.
The meeting also reviewed initiatives under the MSME Department, including the One District One Product programme, Odisha Seva Fast Naba Srijana Abhiyan and National Startup Awards 6.0.
Reviewing Mission Shakti initiatives, Collectors were instructed to expedite the establishment of market infrastructure for women entrepreneurs, including Subhadra Shakti Marts, Gram Panchayat Subhadra Shakti Kendras and District Subhadra Shakti Bazaars.
The proposed Godavari Adarsh Primary Schools across different parts of the state also figured prominently in the discussions. Collectors were asked to identify the required land at the earliest and resolve land-related and other ancillary issues immediately to ensure that construction begins within the stipulated timeframe.
