Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, has directed district collectors to strengthen coordination with departments and ensure that government schemes and projects are implemented within stipulated timelines.
Garg issued the directions while reviewing the district-level progress of major departmental schemes and projects at Lok Seva Bhavan. District collectors participated in the meeting virtually, while senior state government officials attended in person.
Collectors Asked to Resolve Implementation Hurdles
The review focused on pending approvals, land-related issues and other bottlenecks affecting the execution of government projects.
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Garg asked collectors to work with the concerned departments to resolve issues relating to:
- Land availability and acquisition
- Project approvals and clearances
- Construction-related delays
- Other implementation bottlenecks
She also stressed regular district-level monitoring and inter-departmental coordination so that approved projects are completed on schedule and their intended benefits reach people without unnecessary delays.
Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh (IAS: 1993: Odisha), Housing and Urban Development Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee (IAS: 1996: Odisha), departmental secretaries and other senior officials attended the meeting.
Water Supply Projects Face Land-Related Issues
The Housing and Urban Development Department presented the status of urban drinking water and other projects, including land-related issues requiring intervention at the district level.
Collectors were asked to resolve five major land-related issues in Khordha, Sambalpur and Cuttack districts.
The meeting also examined market-based financing options for small urban local bodies and compliance with budget-management provisions.
Nutrition Schemes and Health Infrastructure Reviewed
The Women and Child Development Department reviewed the implementation of Poshan Maah-2026 and the Suposhita Odisha Mission, along with digital monitoring mechanisms.
The discussions covered the identification and referral of malnourished children, registration of pregnant women and strengthening of nutrition services in vulnerable areas.
The Health and Family Welfare Department reviewed biomedical waste management, land requirements for primary health centres, AYUSH Medical Colleges, the Ama Hospital programme and the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme.
Education, Agriculture and Heritage Projects Also Reviewed
The School and Mass Education Department reviewed the Godabarish Mishra Model Primary School Scheme, residential hostels in Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas and the generation of APAAR IDs for students.
The meeting also covered progress in:
- The Baraputra Heritage Corridor/Heritage Village initiative
- Handloom and handicraft programmes
- Farmer registration
- The Kharif-2026 digital crop survey
- Other district-level departmental programmes
Odisha Plans 30 MSME Parks Across Districts
The MSME Department reviewed the functioning of district-level Single Window Clearance Authorities, MSME parks, the Odisha startup ecosystem and credit facilitation.
The proposed development of 30 MSME parks across 30 districts was also discussed during the review.
The department’s review also covered measures related to facilitating credit and supporting the state’s MSME and startup ecosystem.
Focus on District-Level Monitoring
The review brought several departments together around issues that require coordination between the state administration and district authorities.
Garg’s directions place responsibility on district collectors to follow up with the concerned departments, address implementation-related issues within defined timelines and regularly monitor the progress of approved projects.
The Chief Secretary’s emphasis was on ensuring that delays involving land, approvals, construction or departmental coordination do not hold up the implementation of government schemes and projects.
The meeting covered departments including Housing and Urban Development, Women and Child Development, Health and Family Welfare, Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts, Odia Language, Literature and Culture, School and Mass Education, Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, and MSME.
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