Dikhyaa Mohanty 
According to state IT secretary Manoj Kumar Mishra, the Odisha government has begun moves to bring 4G mobile coverage to all of the state’s disconnected villages within a year. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik conducted an evaluation of the Electronics and IT department on Tuesday, marking the end of the fourth year of his administration’s fifth term. The E&IT department’s significant projects and their transformative effects on government and citizens were discussed with the CM by Minister Tusharkanti Behera.
After the meeting, Mishra briefed the media, stating that the state’s lack of access to the telecom network was a significant issue. Students from remote places had trouble taking online lessons during the Covid-19 epidemic. The Chief Minister raised this matter with the Prime Minister and secured approval for telecom towers. The Odisha Cabinet has resolved to grant 2000 sq ft of land free of charge in order to expedite the telecom tower building process, he added.
Reliance Jio has been given permission to build 3000 towers in 10 districts, for which land has nearly entirely been given away. Only 36 out of 38 locations have the land allotment finished because of problems with forest diversion, according to the secretary. According to Mishra, all Secretariat departments, all directorates/HoDs, all district collectorates, and the DG and SP offices of Odisha are now covered by the Odisha State Workflow Automation System (OSWAS), which Mishra said currently has about 15,000 users and enables quick decision-making at all levels.
