3Ts: Odisha CM’s new mantra to ministers

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 21:

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the completion of three years of his fourth consecutive term in the government today suggested his ministers to keep in their minds the mantra of 3Ts-teamwork, transparency and technology to fine tune functioning of their departments.

“I will suggest 3Ts-teamwork, transparency and technology. I want every department to fine tune their functioning with these 3Ts in mind,” Naveen told his ministers at the Council of Ministers meeting held here today.

“In the next two months, I will be taking independent feedback on the steps taken in this regard,” he added.

“While I thank the entire team for our achievements in the last three years, I am seriously concerned about the last mile delivery and in some cases harassment being faced by the people. This has to improve,” the Chief Minister cautioned his colleagues in his Council of Ministers.

Patnaik drew out a list of achievements of his government to the members of his newly reconstituted Council of Ministers.

“Could any of you have imagined 20 years ago that there would be a Government Medical College in Mayurbhanj or Koraput?” asked Patnaik to his Ministers.

“Today it is a reality,” he said.

Patnaik reminded his Ministers of the year 2000 on where the state was and how far it has moved since then.

“From a state known for mishandling natural disasters leading to loss of thousands of precious lives to a state that has set global benchmarks in disaster management,” he stated.

Patnaik pointed out that the state which was doing subsistence agriculture has developed into an agriculturally progressive state and has won Krishikarman awards four times adding that it is the only state to have doubled farmers’ incomes in the last decade.

“A state which was food grain deficit and dependent on Railway rakes from Punjab and Haryana to feed its own people has transformed to a state which is third largest contributor to the PDS-playing a major role in the food security of the country,” the Chief Minister said.

Highlighting on the achievements of his government in bringing down Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) in the state Patnaik said: “From a state which was known for its abysmal record in IMR and MMR—being the bottom most in the country to having the sharpest decline in the IMR—becoming better than national average.”

He said the state which was in a state of financial bankruptcy and was not being able to pay the salaries of its people is now a state known for excellence in financial administration.

The state which was known for corruption and nepotism is now known for transparency and anti-corruption measures, he added.

The chief Minister stated that the state which was known for acute poverty is now known for bringing about the highest poverty reduction in the country, a decline of 24.61 percentage points—80 lakh persons have come out of poverty in the last decade.

He said the state which was known for lack of connectivity now has one of the best road networks in the country—reaching the far-flung areas.

“I have listed only some of the major achievements. I am giving a schedule for departments to inform the people through media briefings about their achievements in detail,” the Chief Minister told reporters after the Council of Ministers meeting.

“The state government is working sincerely to deliver its commitments made in the party’s election manifesto. In the next ten days ministers and secretaries of different departments will inform the media through briefings about different success stories of government,” informed Bikram Arukh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister briefing reporters alongside the Chief Minister.