Odisha CS for citizen-centric services, efficient fund utilization

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Chief Secretary, Manoj Ahuja has emphasized the state government’s unwavering commitment to citizen-centric services, urging departments to expedite the execution of their initiatives.
He reviewed the progress of key government initiatives on Friday since the last assessment on March 11.
The session, attended by senior officials, focused on streamlining services to citizens and ensuring the effective use of government funds for the current fiscal year.
The meeting also focused on reviewing the expenditure progress of various departments for the 2024-25 financial year, with a special focus on preparing annual work plans for the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal to ensure alignment with budget provisions.
A key highlight was the discussion on the state’s ambitious vision for “Viksit Odisha for Viksit Bharat 2036 and 2047,” with the government continuing its push to implement major initiatives, including the Work Passbook system. Another important update was the progress on developing a central system for real-time monitoring of drinking water and piped irrigation systems. The Electronics and IT Department also provided updates on asset management for schools and hostels.
Enhancing grievance redressal mechanisms was another focal point of the meeting, with discussions centred around re-engineering platforms to make them more effective. Additionally, the Odisha government’s ongoing work on the Citizen Feedback Management System portal was highlighted.
Other updates from the meeting included the remarkable success of the “Odisha Yatri” ride-hailing app, which has completed 1.5 lakh trips, and the success of the IGOT-Mission Karma Yogi platform, which has seen 4,16,138 employees register, completing over 5,64,142 courses. Odisha ranked second in performance on this national platform, just behind Rajasthan.
Ahuja also instructed departments to expedite the filling of vacant posts, ensure timely pension payments, and integrate Aadhaar authentication to enhance governance.
Development Commissioner, Anu Garg, stressed the importance of regular visits by senior officials to districts, ensuring accountability and timely reporting to the state government.