Policymakers, senior bureaucrats and development experts gathered at the Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhawan, today for a high-level session on “Antyodaya Odisha” during Vikash Manthan 1.0 – Governance in Action.
Organised by the Planning & Convergence Department, Government of Odisha, in collaboration with the Odisha Centre of Integrated Development (OCID), the session positioned Antyodaya — the upliftment of the last person in the queue — as the foundational philosophy for the state’s ambitious Viksit Odisha 2036 and Viksit Bharat 2047 goals.
Moderated by Dr. Santosh Tripathy, Vice Chancellor, Fakir Mohan University and co-moderated by Dr. Aswini Mohapatra, Former Dean, Jawaharlal Nehru University, the deliberations focused on strengthening last-mile service delivery and ensuring no citizen is left behind in Odisha’s development journey.
Dr. Mrinalini Darswal, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Women & Child Development Department, spotlighted the state’s aggressive push for women-led development. Flagship initiatives such as SUBHADRA, Mission Shakti and Lakhpati Didi are transforming lives, she said. “More than one crore women are benefitting under SUBHADRA while Odisha now proudly leads the nation with over 17 lakh Lakhpati Didis,” Dr. Darswal noted, adding that these programmes are boosting female labour force participation and creating a new generation of women entrepreneurs.
Aswathy S., IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Department, presented the roadmap for Healthy Odisha Vision 2047. She emphasised universal healthcare access, seamless integration of primary-to-tertiary services, drastic reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure and technology-driven service delivery as non-negotiable pillars for a developed Odisha.
B. Parameswaran, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, ST & SC Development Department, stressed the need for balanced and culturally sensitive growth. “Socio-economic empowerment of tribal communities, preservation of their unique identity and guaranteed last-mile delivery of benefits are essential to ensure dignity and equal opportunity for every marginalised citizen,” he asserted.
Monisha Banerjee, IAS, Director, Social Welfare, Women & Child Development Department, shared success stories of convergence-driven nutrition programmes. Initiatives like Purna Aahara and Pada Pushti Karyakram have significantly improved maternal and child nutrition outcomes, especially in vulnerable and tribal pockets, through targeted outreach and real-time growth monitoring.
The session concluded with a strong consensus that Antyodaya is not merely a programme but the guiding principle of governance in Odisha. By placing women’s empowerment, universal healthcare, tribal inclusion and nutritional security at the core, the state is scripting a truly inclusive and people-centric model of development that will propel Odisha towards its 2036 vision and contribute meaningfully to Viksit Bharat 2047.
