Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, has directed departmental secretaries to accelerate expenditure under approved budget provisions and strengthen field-level monitoring of government schemes and projects.
The directions were issued during a high-level secretaries’ meeting in Bhubaneswar, where officials reviewed the state’s financial position, implementation of government programmes and key development priorities.
The Finance Department presented an assessment of revenue and expenditure up to the end of August. The review indicated improvement in overall, programme and capital expenditure compared with the corresponding period of the previous year. Garg asked departments to step up spending while ensuring that the utilisation of funds translates into quality implementation and measurable outcomes.
Secretaries Asked to Move Beyond Office Reviews
Garg stressed that monitoring of government programmes should not remain limited to meetings and departmental reports. Secretaries have been asked to undertake field visits and assess implementation directly at the ground level.
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Key directions include:
- Accelerate expenditure in accordance with approved budgetary allocations.
- Monitor schemes and projects through field inspections.
- Ensure that spending is linked to quality implementation and measurable outcomes.
- Identify implementation issues during ground visits and take corrective measures.
- Maintain focus on the state’s broader development priorities.
The emphasis on field monitoring comes amid a wider push by the Odisha government to have senior officials directly assess the implementation of public schemes and services.
A separate field-monitoring exercise has also envisaged visits by secretaries and senior officials to districts to review areas such as healthcare, education, drinking water, Anganwadi services and public grievances.
Drug-Free India Campaign Also Reviewed
The meeting also discussed the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, with attention to strengthening awareness and enforcement measures against drug abuse.
Odisha has previously undertaken statewide activities under the campaign, with the administration calling for coordinated participation by government departments and district authorities.
Tourism Among Priority Areas
Tourism development was also among the issues discussed at the secretaries-level meeting, along with other priority areas requiring coordinated departmental action.
The government’s focus on tourism forms part of its wider development agenda, alongside infrastructure, industry, agriculture, sports and heritage-related initiatives. Recent state-level reviews have similarly stressed faster implementation of infrastructure projects and resolution of execution bottlenecks.
Focus on Accountability and Outcome-Based Spending
The Chief Secretary’s directions underline the administration’s focus on faster utilisation of approved funds, closer monitoring of implementation and greater accountability among departments.
The latest financial review follows earlier instructions to departments to improve expenditure and revenue mobilisation. In July, Odisha’s programme expenditure stood at ₹35,438 crore, while total expenditure excluding debt servicing and disaster management was ₹58,996 crore, according to figures reviewed at an earlier all-secretaries meeting.
About Anu Garg
Anu Garg is a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre and the first woman to serve as Chief Secretary of Odisha. She assumed charge on December 31, 2025.
An alumna of Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, Garg studied Psychology and holds a Master’s in Sociology from the University of Lucknow and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, USA.
With over three decades of administrative experience, she has served as Development Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare Secretary and Collector of Sambalpur and Bargarh. She has also held senior positions at the Centre, including in the Prime Minister’s Office.
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