Odisha chief secretary asks districts to ensure public participation in statewide outreach programme

Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief secretary Anu Garg on Friday asked the district administrations to ensure active public participation in a statewide outreach programme to mark the second anniversary of the state govt, beginning June 12.Chairing a virtual meeting with all the collectors, Garg reviewed preparations for the multi-tier events to be held from state to gram panchayat level. Senior secretaries of various departments also attended the meeting.Highlighting the govt’s achievements over the past two years, Garg said the programme aims to take development successes and welfare initiatives directly to the people, while also presenting the roadmap for the next three years. She stressed the need for interactive platforms to gather feedback from beneficiaries and expand the reach of flagship schemes.Additional chief secretary Hemant Sharma presented a detailed plan, outlining district-level seminars on theme ‘Developed Bharat for Developed Odisha’, three-day exhibitions, project reviews and public dialogues involving media and opinion-makers.Collectors have been tasked with showcasing progress in key sectors such as women empowerment, agriculture, health, rural development, drinking water, infrastructure and social security.At the grassroots level, week-long exhibitions and awareness camps will be organised, covering schemes like PM Surya Ghar, PM SVANidhi, rural housing projects, Subhadra scheme and Lakhpati Didi initiatives. Seminars, farmers’ dialogues and beneficiary outreach programmes will also be held.Given the ongoing heatwave, the chief secretary directed officials to ensure adequate arrangements, including drinking water, sunstroke prevention measures and fire safety, during the events. She called for coordinated efforts across departments to ensure successful execution of the programmes.