Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Smt. Anu Garg chaired a high-level meeting with District Collectors today at the Lok Seva Bhawan conference hall to discuss several critical administrative priorities.
The meeting was attended by Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Shri Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary of Home, Industry, and Information and Public Relations Shri Hemant Sharma, and Additional Chief Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, alongside secretaries from various departments.
While collectors from districts like Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Balasore, Bhadrak, Angul, and Kendrapara attended in person, others joined virtually.
A major focus of the meeting was the upcoming NEET-2026 re-examination scheduled for June 21. The Chief Secretary emphasized the need for disciplined and seamless organization, instructing the Transport Department to provide free bus services for candidates traveling between examination centers and nearby railway stations or bus stands. Since the International Day of Yoga falls on the same date, she directed coordinated preparations to ensure both events run smoothly.
Environmental and infrastructural balances were also prioritized. The Additional Chief Secretary of Revenue and Disaster Management Dr.Arabinda Kumar Padhee highlighted the government’s focus on creating a dedicated land bank for compensatory afforestation. Collectors were instructed to expedite the identification and data update process for suitable government lands to help maintain ecological balance and expand green cover amid ongoing development projects.
Regarding health and family welfare, collectors were advised to treat fire and electrical safety in health institutions with the highest priority. The directive calls for regular fire safety audits, mock drills, and the prompt renewal of safety certificates. The Chief Secretary also ordered regular monitoring of medicine availability, diagnostic services, vaccination progress, the TB eradication campaign, and the execution of the Stop Diarrhea campaign running from June 16 to July 31, alongside securing Record of Rights for hospital lands.
Lastly, infrastructure strengthening for Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and Large Area Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies (LAMPS) was reviewed. Cooperative Commissioner-cum-Secretary Shri Rajesh Prabhakar Patil stressed the speedy allocation of land for building new office buildings and storage facilities.
To mitigate storage shortages under the World’s Largest Grain Storage Plan, collectors were directed to fast-track land identification for high-capacity warehouses, with the Development Commissioner adding that PACS and LAMPS will be developed into multipurpose service centers for agriculture.