Bhubaneswar, 01 July (H.S.): A high-level secretariat meeting was held today at the conference hall of Kharavela Bhavan under the chairpersonship of Chief Secretary Smt. Anu Garg.
The meeting was attended by Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Shri Deoranjan Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretaries Shri Hemant Sharma, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Smt. Chitra Arumugam, Smt. Usha Padhee, along with all departmental Secretaries and the Principal Secretary, Finance Department.
At the outset, the Chief Secretary reviewed key achievements of the State Government, including the launch of the Women Entrepreneurs Platform (WEP), free education from KG to PG, the Chief Minister’s Annapurna Scheme, strengthening of the nutrition delivery system, increased reservation in technical education, and notable progress in the sports, industrial, and startup sectors.
The meeting focused on making governance more efficient, transparent, and citizen-centric through evidence-based policymaking, technology adoption, and improved departmental performance monitoring. Emphasis was placed on strengthening policy formulation through scientific research, data analysis, and field-level validation to ensure optimal use of resources.
A key discussion was held on expanding collaboration with J-PAL in sectors such as education, agriculture, labour, food supply, women’s empowerment, and governance. Future areas of cooperation were identified, including agriculture, climate change, migrant labour, labour markets, AI applications, and women’s economic empowerment.
The Finance Department presented a review of the State’s expenditure and revenue position as of June 30, 2026. It was noted that overall program expenditure in the first quarter of the current fiscal year has increased significantly compared to the previous year, particularly in agriculture, social sectors, and developmental schemes. Departments were directed to ensure efficient budget utilization, accelerate capital expenditure, and complete projects within stipulated timelines.
The Electronics and IT Department presented developments in AI-based Odia voice bot technology, which is expected to enable direct interaction with beneficiaries in the Odia language for feedback collection, service quality assessment, and prompt corrective action. The potential use of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology for digitizing handwritten records in Odia was also discussed.
A detailed roadmap for the implementation of 25 strategic projects in Jharsuguda district was reviewed, aimed at transforming the district into an integrated development model. Key focus areas include health, education, industry, transport, airport expansion, digital services, and green energy, which are expected to boost employment and overall socio-economic growth. Jharsuguda District Collector Shri Kunal Motiram Chavan presented the progress and roadmap for the initiatives.
The Chief Electoral Officer briefed the meeting on the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) programme, emphasizing the need for accurate and error-free electoral rolls with active cooperation from district administrations.
Preparations for post-Rath Yatra public service management were also reviewed, with instructions issued to ensure inter-departmental coordination under the “Team Odisha” approach for smooth governance and citizen services.
In her concluding remarks, Chief Secretary Smt. Anu Garg stressed the importance of data-driven decision-making, maximum use of technology, inter-departmental coordination, timely execution, and citizen-centric service delivery. She urged all departments to adhere strictly to targets and timelines to accelerate Odisha’s development journey.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
