Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Monday laid the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art 450-seat auditorium at the State Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (SIRD&PR) here at an estimated cost of Rs 32 crore, officials said.
The project aims to strengthen the state’s grassroots governance and capacity-building infrastructure for Panchayati Raj institutions and rural development programmes.
Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, Rabi Narayan Naik, laid the foundation stone in the presence of senior departmental officials.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister said the new auditorium would serve as a major platform for training elected representatives, government officials and stakeholders associated with rural governance.
“Villages are the backbone of Odisha and the state’s development depends on the progress of rural areas. The proposed auditorium will act as a centre for democratic decentralisation, knowledge exchange and institutional capacity building,” he said.
According to officials, the auditorium will host workshops, seminars and conferences on subjects such as Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs), Panchayat Progress Index (PGI), good governance, digital governance, women’s leadership, social inclusion, water and sanitation, livelihood generation programmes and Finance Commission grants.
The facility will also include modern audio-visual systems, spaces for documentary screenings, exhibitions and thematic programmes, aimed at improving the training ecosystem of SIRD&PR.
Officials said the auditorium would facilitate interaction among grassroots elected representatives, administrative officers, community institutions and development experts, helping strengthen governance delivery at the village level.
The minister said the initiative reflects the government’s commitment towards empowering Gram Panchayats and building self-reliant rural institutions under the broader vision of rural transformation in Odisha.
Among those present at the event were Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Girish S. N., Director of DW&S Vineet Bhardwaj, Director of Special Projects Siddharth Shankar Swain, Additional Secretary Madhusmita Samal, Director of PR Indramani Nayak and other officials.
