Bhubaneswar: A high-level secretary-level meeting was convened on Tuesday at the conference hall of Lok Seva Bhawan under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja. The session focused on strengthening people-centric governance through the effective use of subject-specific knowledge and skills.
Reviewing the progress of public grievance redressal, officials noted that since June 2024, 82% of grievances received through multiple channels have been resolved successfully. Emphasis was laid on adopting a dedicated technology-enabled system to expedite grievances requiring urgent attention.
The meeting also highlighted plans to collect beneficiary feedback in the near future to enhance service delivery quality and improve the efficiency of the ‘Ama Sasana’ platform.
In alignment with the Odisha Right to Public Services Act, steps are underway to integrate services into the unified ‘Ama Sathi’ WhatsApp bot for easier public access.
Officials discussed accelerating land allotment projects and announced a target to launch a ‘Work Passbook’ system by October 31. This digital tool will monitor project progress and ensure timely completion in accordance with set goals.
To enhance security surveillance, departments are working towards integrating existing CCTV networks into a centralized monitoring system.
A new digital initiative, the ‘Odisha Ideas Portal,’ is set to be launched soon, aimed at promoting innovation and collaborative governance across the state.
The meeting also covered the fast-tracking of government functions using the OSWAS system. All officers will undergo mandatory AI-based online training between April and June 2025 to build foundational skills in artificial intelligence.
Additionally, the importance of completing at least 20 hours of annual training via the iGOT platform was stressed to strengthen officers’ capacities. Training will align with the objectives of the ‘Viksit Odisha, Viksit India’ Vision Document.
Online monitoring mechanisms will be enhanced to implement the ‘Vision 2030: Developed Odisha’ initiative effectively.
Industrial development and the ease of doing business were reviewed, with special focus on the performance of the ‘GO-SMILE’ digital platform that facilitates industrial inspections.
The Chief Secretary also reviewed departmental expenditures under the 2025–26 budget and urged secretaries to regularly monitor and optimize financial management.
Additional Chief Secretaries Satyabrata Sahu and Deoranjan Kumar Singh, Additional Secretary Surendra Kumar, heads of departments, and senior administrative officials attended the meeting.
