Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Smt. Anu Garg conducted a comprehensive virtual review meeting with District Collectors across Odisha to evaluate the implementation of various state development schemes and field-level administration.
The review was attended by Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Shri Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary Home, Industries and I&PR Shri Hemant Sharma, Principal Secretaries, Commissioners, and Secretaries from multiple key departments.
The meeting focused heavily on the fund allocation and work progress of community-centric programs, including MLALAD, MPLAD, and the Chief Minister Special Assistance Scheme. Officials emphasized the need to complete pending projects within strict timelines and immediately launch projects where work has not yet started.
Shri Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh, who also serves as Additional Chief Secretary for the Steel and Mines Department, discussed operational challenges regarding minor minerals. Recognizing the District Survey Report (DSR) as an essential tool for identifying and managing mineral resources, collectors from districts that have not yet submitted their DSRs were directed to forward them promptly.
A detailed review of programs under the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment was conducted during the meeting. District Collectors were instructed to ensure the seamless delivery of technology-driven services to farmers, expedite site selection for weather and rainfall measurement infrastructure, enforce strict actions against fertilizer hoarding and irregularities, and advance farmer registration under AgriStack in mission mode. To achieve these goals, district administrations were advised to conduct weekly progress reviews at the block level and launch wide public awareness drives.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary Shri Sachin Ramchandra Yadav presented details regarding the Weather Information Network and Data System (WINDS) project, which involves installing Automatic Weather Stations and Automatic Rain Gauges across the state according to prescribed technical criteria.
Commerce and Transport Principal Secretary Shri N.B.S. Rajput discussed resolving land acquisition hurdles and managing compensatory afforestation for proposed airports and helipads.
Under the guidance of Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Commissioner-cum-Secretary Shri Girish S.N. and Director Shri Siddharth Shankar Swain, officials reviewed ongoing mega drinking water projects. Directives were issued to clear inter-departmental bottlenecks, expedite land acquisition, and secure electrical connections to accelerate execution.
The administration set a firm deadline of March 2026 for the completion of all single-village drinking water schemes and solar-powered water supply initiatives across the state. Senior officials from the Planning and Convergence Department and other related Departments were also present.