Anu Garg, the chief secretary of Odisha, inspected the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department’s operations on Friday and urged more grassroots initiatives to enhance rural livelihoods, access to drinking water, and basic amenities throughout the state. Garg used video conferencing to communicate with senior departmental officials, Chief Development Officers-cum-Executive Officers of Zilla Parishads, Block Development Officers, Panchayat Extension Officers, engineers, and other field-level officials during her review of the department at Lokseva Bhawan.
The Chief Secretary highlighted the state government’s objectives under Viksit Odisha 2036 and Viksit Bharat 2047, describing the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department as a crucial organization in providing vital services in rural regions. In order to turn these goals into observable results, she called for district, block, and panchayat authorities to work with more dedication and resolve. Garg also emphasized the three main tenets of the state’s Samruddha Odisha vision: more economic equality, better health and well-being, and development-led prosperity. In addition to encouraging tourism and guaranteeing broader engagement across communities, she advocated for more rural economic activity thru livelihood development and higher value addition in industries like fisheries, dairy, and poultry.
She emphasized the necessity of long-term fixes for rural drinking water issues and advocated for concurrent improvements to roads, sanitation, and electrical access. Additionally, officials were counseled to concentrate on flood control, pond and other water body restoration, road maintenance, and initiatives to improve the health and environmental sustainability of communities. The Chief Secretary demanded that all villages have internet access, that model villages be created at the block level, and that the Mahapurusha Adarsh Gram and Godabarish Adarsh Primary School programs be implemented more quickly. She also called on authorities to take a more aggressive stance and keep spirits up while carrying out government initiatives.
Girish S.N., the department’s Commissioner-cum-Secretary, briefed Garg on ongoing initiatives and the advancements made during the review. He stated that the agency was carrying out weekly evaluations to guaranty the successful execution of programs meant to address fundamental requirements at the local level. Of the 207 projects under the rural drinking water mega pipe water delivery system, 43 have been finished, and water supply has started from 86 sites. Bottlenecks in the remaining projects are being addressed in an effort to finish them as soon as possible.
