Odisha’s Best Practice In Rural Housing Recognized For Replication In Other States

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today reviewed the targets and achievements of the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department during the last four years and the fulfilment of the assurances given in the manifesto.

Minister Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, Pradip Kumar Amat presented details of achievements promised in the election manifesto and other transformative steps undertaken by the Department during last four years for the benefit of the people in rural areas across the state.

i.Rural Housing Schemes: More than 11 lakh houses have been provided to rural families in the last 4 years. Moreover, nearly Rs 2150 crores grants have been disbursed to more than 35 lakh beneficiaries for repair as well as for early completion of houses.

ii. Aama Gaon Aama Bikash: More than 54,000 projects have been completed and over Rs 1500 Cr has been sanctioned for these projects. Moreover, around 7800 Mission Shakti Gruha have been taken up at GP level.

iii. The department has undertaken an ambitious program of providing household tap water connection to each rural houses with a provision of 70 litres per capita per day supply. 206 mega projects as well as 13000 single-village piped water supply projects have been undertaken with a massive investment of Rs. 57000 Cr. 61% rural HHs have been covered so far.

iv.14,000 WSHGs have been involved in various income generation programs through ORMAS in collaboration with Mission Shakti generating a business of Rs 770 Cr. & profit of over Rs. 200 cr. Around 800 WSHG members have been involved in activities like Nursery raising, Nutri-garden etc. and Rs. 1065.00 Cr have been paid to them in the form of income or service charge.

v.The goal of empowerment of youth through skill development has been achieved by training 82,000 youths in last 4 years.

vi. For enhancing Sports Infrastructure, more than 12 thousand playgrounds and stadiums have been developed. Moreover, around 8000 GP playgrounds have been completed in the state.

vii. Under 5T high school transformation initiatives, more than 7,800 schools have been transformed and equipped with all modern facilities.

Minister also highlighted other major achievements of the department undertaken so far in the last four years by the Department:

1. Odisha has been amongst the best states in the implementation of MGNREGA. Our efforts in creating durable assets in convergence with other schemes have been well appreciated at the National level.
2. For creating rural infrastructure under MGNREGA, more than 12 lakh works have been completed. This includes Water conservation, watershed development works, livestock shelter, farm pond, Anganwadi Centres, Play fields, land development etc.
3. Under the CFC/SFC grants more than 8 lakh nos. of projects worth Rs. 15,590 Cr. have been taken up towards the development of maintenance of PWS, Rural haat, rainwater harvesting, drainage system, construction and maintenance of schools, Anganwadi centres, playground, rural library, community halls etc.
4. Under the rural health infrastructure programme, 4,176 nos. of projects have been taken up worth Rs 1261 Cr. This includes construction and maintenance of the Sub-centre buildings, PHCs, BPHU, Biomedical Waste Management Facility Centre etc.
5. During the COVID-19 lockdown, 17,000 TMCs were set up at GP level to provide quarantine facilities to the migrant labourers.
6. The department was at the forefront of taking Hockey World Cup fever to rural areas.
7. The department maintains full transparency in scheme implementation and all the details of projects and beneficiaries are available in the public domain.
8. Rural Industrial Park will be set up in all blocks with marketing linkage in a mission mode.
9. Mission Shakti café will be constructed and operational in all blocks in the next one year.
10. All unused buildings of various Government departments will be utilised by Mission Shakti group for various productive purposes
11. ORMAS to be further strengthened and scaled up
12. Drinking water provision to all households will be continued as a priority

Appreciations for the Department

1. Awards to Zilla Parishad, Block and Gram Panchayat
2. Transparency in the Department has been improved
3. Implementation of 5T initiatives are satisfactory
4. Department done fairly well in all areas

The efforts of the Department have been duly recognized at various levels. Odisha was no. 2 in National Panchayat Awards, 2023 by winning 6 awards including best District & best block awards. The state is also ranked first in the skill development training conducted.

Odisha’s best practice in Rural Housing and skill development has been duly recognized for replication in other states.

The PR & DW Department is fully committed to ensuring delivery of services at the grassroots level and the use of technology to ensure last-mile connectivity of beneficiaries.