Bhubaneswar: The State government is committed to realizing the vision of Viksit Odisha – Vision 2036 & 2047, through responsive, transparent, efficient and citizen-centric governance.
Recognising the need for a structured and institutional mechanism to drive governance reforms in the State, the Government has decided to constitute a high-level Committee to review the administrative framework, identify systemic bottlenecks, and recommend forward-looking reforms.
The initiative draws inspiration from similar reform bodies constituted in other States and aims to place Odisha at the forefront of governance excellence by 2047.
A Notification has been issued by the Government in the General Administration & Public Grievance Department, Odisha, for the formation of a Committee, as per the approval of the Governor of Odisha.
As per the notification, Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, IAS (Retd.), has been appointed as the Chairperson, and retired IAS officers O.P. Agrawal, and T.M. Vijay Bhaskar, as members of the Committee.
The Committee will review the existing administrative structures, rules, and procedures, and recommend measures for simplification, transparency, and accountability in alignment with Viksit Odisha – Vision 2036 & 2047.
It will suggest reforms for enhancing efficiency, outcome-orientation, and digital adoption in service delivery, drawing upon best practices in Odisha, other States, and international models and recommend measures for strengthening interdepartmental coordination, decentralisation, and field-level empowerment for improved governance outcomes
It examines avenues for participatory governance, citizen feedback, grievance redressal, and use of data-driven decision-making, proposes capacity building and human resource reforms for civil services to ensure professionalism, ethics, and innovation in administration
The Committee will submit its report within one year from the date of this Notification. The Government may extend the period as deemed necessary.
The General Administration & Public Grievance Department shall provide necessary secretarial assistance, data support, research inputs, and logistical arrangements to the Committee.
The Members of the Committee shall be entitled to Travel Allowance/Dearness Allowance (TA/DA) and accommodation facilities as admissible under rules whenever they attend meetings of the Committee in Bhubaneswar or elsewhere, as approved by the Government.
Similar Committees have been constituted in States such as Kerala (Administrative Reforms Commission, 2016), Karnataka (Nolan Committee on Governance Reforms, 2001), and Rajasthan (Administrative Reforms Commission, 2019), whose experiences may be suitably leveraged while formulating recommendations for Odisha.
