Dikhyaa Mohanty 
In a high-level meeting today, the CMO assessed the status of many important industrial and infrastructural projects as part of its ongoing effort to address public complaints in a timely way. The Development Commissioner, ACS Revenue & Disaster Management, ACS Forest Environment & Climate Change, Principal Secretary Industries, MD, IDCO, and Collectors of Cuttack, Jharsuguda, and Ganjam districts, in addition to the concerned Department officials, attended the review along with Secretary to CM (5T) VK Pandian.
In order to make local employees more easily accessible, Secretary 5T proposed that moving forward, all industrial projects should be mapped with the need for skilled labor for particular projects. Institutions for skill development like ITIs and Polytechnics should also be marked. It was brought to CMO’s attention at the public complaints hearings in Brajarajnagar, Jharsuguda, that vast expanses of industrial lands leased to Orient Paper Mills are lying idle and might thus be used more effectively. Collector, Jharsuguda, and IDCO have subsequently conducted inquiries into the problem, and a report was submitted during the meeting.
It was agreed to look into alternate alternatives for using the unoccupied property for the establishment of employment-oriented initiatives while keeping in mind the greater public interest. The district government, Jharsuguda, and IDCO were given a month to finish the task. The Industries Department was also instructed to invite potential businesses to locate employment-focused businesses in the region.
In a similar move, the State Government has now assumed control of the abandoned 521-acre site of the former Orissa Textile Mills in Choudwar after paying off all outstanding employee debts. The OTM property in Choudwar has shown interest in establishing plants for the textile and locomotive industries.
