One-year review of Odisha council of ministers today

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 21:

With the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government completing the first year of its fourth term in Odisha today, Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik will review the performance of various departments in the last one year at the meeting of the council of ministers scheduled here this evening.

Sources said most of the ministers and their respective departments have submitted their report card to the Chief Minister last night.

While it is not yet known what are the issues scheduled to be discussed in the meeting, sources said the agenda would be given to the ministers at the meeting.

“On the first day of the formation of the fourth term of the state government on May 21 last year, the Chief Minister had convened a meeting of the council of ministers where he had announced the fulfilment of all promises made in the party’s election manifesto. The state government has prepared a fiscal plan worth Rs 80,000 crore for execution of the poll promises it had made to the people of the state during the election. On the basis of the manifesto, several welfare schemes are currently under implementation in the state. To ensure proper and timely implementation of these schemes, the Chief Minster has asked all ministers and departments to submit their yearly report card to assess their performance in accordance with the promises. After the assessment, we can give you the details of the progress and status of these schemes,” said Cooperation and Excise minister Damodar Rout.

Talking to the media, Labour and Steel and Mines minister Prafulla Mallick said the Labour department has undertaken a number of proactive steps in the last one year.

“The minimum wage of the labourers has been hiked. Besides, the department has taken up several welfare measures for construction workers. The department has done more in the last one year than it had done in the last four years,” he said.

Referring to the performance of the Steel and Mines department, the minister said his department has taken up the initiative in the reopening of 29 closed mines to ensure raw materials to the industries for which it has formulated a long-term linkage plan.

Urban Development minister Pushpendra Singhdeo said the department has taken steps to ensure supply of clean drinking water to the people for which it has made all urban local bodies accountable.

“The Public Health department has been entrusted the task of supplying clean drinking water to the people under its respective jurisdiction and take immediate steps to plug any leakage as and when it comes to its notice. Special measures have been taken for proper examination of underground pipelines and those laid inside the drain. Steps have been taken to lift the old water pipelines from inside the drains. These works are being taken up in Puri, Cuttack, Sambalpur and Bolangir”, the minister said.

Highlighting the achievement of the Energy department, minister Pranab Prakash Das said the state government had promised 24X7 power supply.

“While 600 KV lines were drawn in the last 50 years, another 600 KV lines have been drawn in just the last 30 months to ensure stable power supply. Besides, under the ‘Power for All’ programme, we have provided electricity to 25 lakh BPL families in the state while steps have been taken to provide electricity to another 20-25 lakh BPL families in the rural and urban areas in the 12 Plan period for which the department has invited tenders. The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) and Odisha Power Generation Corporation Ltd (OPGCL) have been awarded the tenders for construction of 15 power grids each for this purpose. We hope to meet our target by supplying electricity to all houses by 2019”, the minister informed.