Bhubaneswar: A high-level all secretaries’ meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg reviewed the state’s financial performance and set priorities for the upcoming fiscal year at Kharavel Bhawan on Saturday.
The Finance Department informed that total expenditure for the financial year 2025–26, up to March 31, registered an 8.8 per cent increase compared to the corresponding period last year, broadly in line with budget estimates. Notably, expenditure on schemes witnessed a sharp rise of around 90 per cent, reflecting accelerated implementation across departments.
Sector-wise, spending in agriculture and allied sectors — including cooperation, fisheries, and animal resources — increased by 13 per cent. The infrastructure sector also recorded significant growth, while social sector expenditure rose by 13 per cent. Emerging focus areas such as handloom, tourism, skill development, and sunrise sectors showed improved budget utilisation.
On the revenue front, the state achieved 83.42 per cent of its collection target, including own tax, non-tax revenue, and central transfers. The meeting appreciated departments such as Revenue, Steel & Mines, and Finance for improving collection efficiency.
Looking ahead to the 2026–27 budget, the Chief Secretary directed departments to conduct fortnightly reviews of infrastructure projects to ensure timely execution. Emphasis was also laid on integrating similar schemes to enable better monitoring and streamlined implementation. Planning & Convergence Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh was tasked with undertaking departmental reviews and submitting actionable proposals.
Tourism development featured prominently in the discussions. Tourism Commissioner and Secretary Balwant Singh outlined a roadmap aligned with the vision of a “Viksit Odisha 2036” and “Viksit India 2047,” highlighting the sector’s potential for employment generation, inclusive rural growth, and heritage preservation. He stressed coordinated efforts with departments such as Water Resources, Railways, and Public Works to strengthen tourism infrastructure.
Chairing the session, Garg called for transforming Odisha into a world-class tourism destination and urged stakeholders to work under the theme “Think India, Think Odisha” to attract both domestic and international visitors.
The meeting also reviewed progress under “Sadhana Saptah-2026,” being observed from April 2 to 8 under the Mission Karmayogi initiative. Officials across departments have been mandated to complete at least one Artificial Intelligence course and one iGOT platform course, amounting to four hours of training, and share their participation using the hashtag #igotitOdisha.
Additional Chief Secretary Chitra Arumugam briefed the meeting on capacity-building efforts led through the Gopabandhu Administrative Academy in coordination with the Capacity Building Commission under the Government of India. The Chief Secretary stressed achieving 100 per cent registration and higher engagement on the iGOT platform.
In the power sector, OPTCL Chairman and Managing Director Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma presented updates on transmission infrastructure, highlighting efforts to strengthen the grid to meet rising demand, particularly in the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack region, and to support future industrial growth.
Senior officials including Additional Chief Secretaries Hemant Sharma, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Vishal Kumar Dev, and Usha Padhee, along with departmental secretaries, attended the meeting and participated in the review.
