Bhubaneswar: The 25th Board of Directors Meeting of Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC) was convened at Lok Seva Bhawan here on Tuesday. Chief Secretary-cum-Chairman, OMBADC Pradeep Kumar Jena reviewed progress of different works being carried out, sanction of funds from OMBADC so far and urged to expedite the work with its proper utilization.
Sushil Kumar Lohani, Principal Secretary, PR & DW Department, Debidutta Biswal. PCCF & HoFF, CEO, OMBADC and all other independent directors were present in the meeting. Among others, Dr Mona Sharma, ACS, FE&CC Department, DK Singh, ACS, Steel & Mines, Roopa Roshan Sahoo, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, ST&SC Development Department and other members of BoD were also present in the meeting through virtual Mode.
Subha Sarma, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, W&CD Department was the Special invitee present in the meeting. In the BoD meeting, Anu Garg, Development Commissioner-cum-ACS and Lohani, have been incorporated as new Directors in the Board of OMBADC.
In the meeting held today, G Rajesh, CEO, OMBADC presented the financial status of the Corporation for the FY 2022-23, wherein total fine amount collected, funds disbursed and utilized by the different line departments was detailed out. Under the Compensation money funds, the Board has approved 54 projects amounting to Rs. 17318.05 Cr under different Board meetings since the 14th BOD meeting held in the month of April 2019.
The projects have been proposed by 18 different departments and most of the approved projects are under implementation. These departments have successfully utilized an amount of Rs. 6227.97 Cr (68%) till date out of the total released fund of Rs. 9181.06 Cr. The projects pertaining to sectors like Drinking Water, Education, Health, Livelihood, Environment Protection, Rural Connectivity and Water Conservation are being carried out.
Under the Drinking water sector, OMBADC has approved 30 Mega Pipe Water Supply projects for 4 mining districts- Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur and Pallahada block of Angul out of which 02 projects have been commissioned and stared supplying water to 123 villages. The 690-no. of single and multi-village scheme for 787 villages of Mayurbhanj and Drink from Tap (DFT) scheme for 14 ULBs have also been initiated.
Total investment under the drinking water sector is Rs. 8909 Cr. out of which amount sanctioned for PR & DW is Rs. 8008.25 Cr. An amount of Rs. 4,674.89 has been released by OMBADC to the PR dept. against which expenditure incurred by the dept is 78% of released amount for the purpose.
The projects under the Education sector like infrastructure development in elementary, secondary schools and OAVs is under progress. 1146 no. of secondary schools have also been funded by OMBADC under the High School Transformation under 5T initiative of Govt. of Odisha. Till date works are completed in 1088 schools out of which 1065 schools have been inaugurated. The 3rd phase project for 205 schools has also been approved by the Board of OMBADC in the current BoD meeting.
The CEO also presented 02 no. of new proposals related to High School Transformation for 205 schools under the 5T initiative amounting to Rs. 125.46 Cr and supporting the Mukhyamantri Sampoorna Pushti Yojana (MMSPY) in 78 ICDS projects amounting to Rs. 589.46 Cr. which will be carried out.
In the school transformation proposal under 5T, face-lifting of schools will be taken up with improved infrastructure and introducing technology in education. The interventions will benefit more than 24600 students enrolled in class IX and X in 205 High schools in the districts of Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh.
OMBADC is also supporting in upgradation of Govt ITIs and Polytechnics in the mining districts and developing them as Centre of Excellence. The works are undertaken by the SD&TE department. Out of the 16 ITIs and Polytechnics, work has been initiated in ITI Jajpur (welding with thermal cutting), Govt. polytechnic, GP Mayurbhanj (advanced mechatronics), TTI Takatpur ( Advanced Mini Tool room and advanced welding) and ITI Barkote (Home automations).
Another ambitious project funded by OMBADC is construction of 11 indoor stadiums for ULBs and NACs and the work is in final stage of completion. Other projects funded under the education sector are related to strengthening the OUAT, RRTTSs and KVKs, infra development in GCE, Keonjhar and NC College Jajpur. The total allocation for the Education sector is Rs. 3539.30 Cr.
Under the Health sector, OMBADC has allocated a total of Rs. 2942.91 Cr for infrastructure development in the district, block and sub block level Health facilities, construction of 150 bedded MCH wing in the medical college at Jajpur, new infra projects for ICDS, construction of composite rehabilitation centers in OMBADC supported mining districts etc.
The Water Conservation sector which has an allocation of more than Rs. 700 Cr. through which several types of SMC activities have been initiated by the DFOs and also 2 Cr 6 months old saplings and 3 Cr 18 months old saplings are being grown which is further utilized for social forestry and afforestation purposes.
The Rural connectivity sector has a similar investment of approximately Rs. 700 Cr. which aims to connect unconnected habitations through construction of 249 all-weather roads and 25 bridges. More than Rs. 500 Cr has been allocated for the Livelihood projects where activities like horticulture, animal husbandry, fishery, Sericulture and Handloom etc. has been approved by the Board.
Some of the major outcomes include successful operation of Utkal Kitchens by the WSHGs, installation and management of Solar powered Cold rooms handed over to individual beneficiaries or WSHGs which is contributing to their economic empowerment, fisheries activities being implemented by WSHGs in GP Tanks and ponds, Complete and functional Mission Shakti Bhawan at Jajpur which has been developed as a Hub for sale of hand crafted products by artisans.
An amount of Rs. 19.75 Cr has been sanctioned for the Environment Protection and Pollution Control sector where 08 no. of CAAQMS have been installed in excessively polluted areas of the mining districts.
The Board was also informed that in the FY 2021-22 total funds disbursed to different departments was Rs. 2672.88 Cr whereas in the FY 2022-23 till date, total funds released stands at Rs. 2954.27 Cr i.e. an increment of 176 Cr.
This increase is the result of continuous monitoring of the projects by OMBADC through field visits, joint review meetings etc. OMBADC officials have undertaken 15 no. of field visits in the current FY and 24 joint review meetings have been conducted. Besides this, the Oversight Authority Shri Justice A.K. Patnaik, has himself undertaken two no. of field visits to Sundargarh and Keonjhar.
The initiatives taken up by the WCD department under the MMSPY proposal pertains to adoption of the Life cycle approach to positively affect the nutrition outcomes for mothers, adolescent girls and children below 6 years of age. The project components are related to special nutrition package for adolescent girls, Additional Take home ration for mothers, community based management of SAM children, augmented food for MAM children and energy dense THR for severely underweight children.
These interventions will improve the nutritional status of mothers, adolescent girls and children enrolled in the AWCs. The targeted no. of beneficiaries to be benefitted out of OMBADC funding in 78 ICDS projects are 1,61,550 adolescent girls, 1,84,000 pregnant and lactating mothers and more than 6000 malnourished children.
Several drinking water projects and the flagship project of ICDS have been provided extension of time by the Board of Directors as some components are still under progress. The meeting concluded with the release of the Annual Report of OMBADC “Abhyudaya” for the year 2021-22 and Brochures for the months of Jan and Feb 2023.
