Bhubaneswar: Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra interacted with IAS Probationers in their visit to Lokseba Bhawan under leadership of Director General Gopabandhu Academy of Administration ( GAA) Smt Ranjana Chopra.
During the interaction, Mahapatra advised them to learn from innovative interventions in the sectors of livelihood enhancement, development of industrial estates, product based parks, community based eco-tourism, empowering the women and enhancing their economic credibility through WSHG movement, auto-tuned disaster management, robust power supply network with private partnership, community based forest management, conservation and management of urban forests, supply of piped drinking water to HHs, creation of urban facilities like stadium, gyms, parks, in rural societies, up-gradation of Government health facilities, innovative changes in Government schools, road connectivity etc.
He also advised them to learn from the transformational changes that could be made possible through IT application particularly in the fields of mineral excavation and transportation, financial management, public distribution system, demarcation of forest boundaries, creation of developmental data hub through satellite imagery, health service delivery, distribution of different types of scholarships, extension of social security measures, monitoring of afforetsation, paddy procurement, monitoring of crop situation in agricultural lands etc. “IT application has also transformed the file movements and quick decision making”, he said.
Mahapatra added “we in Odisha have not commercially exploited the Nature’s reserves like forest, scenic beauty and wild life. We have intervened with techniques of preservative management and livelihood earning through Vana Sanrakshyana Samities ( VSS) and local communities. It has been a successful win-win model both for the physical environment and people living in fringe areas of forests”.
Further, Mahapatra said, “Odias are peace loving. They love and honour the proactive officers with integrity. They voluntarily participate in innovative works undertaken with the intent of public good under the leadership of able administrative officers”.
Highlighting State’s scope for crop diversification owing to its agro-climatic conditions, ground water use and recharge, cultivation of organic crops, fishery and animal husbandry; Sri Mahapatra advised the probationers to learn from innovative interventions done in Odisha and plan similar projects in their respective areas/districts of work. The probationers also shared their experiences about field visit and put their doubts for clarification.
Director General GAA Smt Chopra appraised that this group of probationers belonged to Odisha cadre. They were Dr Rina Pradhan from Odisha, Dheenah Dastageer from Kerala, Kirandeep Kaur Sahota from Punjab, P. Arvind Jajeshirke from Maharashtra, Rahm Khatri from Rajsthan and Dhiman Chakma from Tripura. They all are in 2021 probationer group. They would be spending around one year in Odisha and would undertake training both in GAA and districts. Himanshu Bhusan Panda, Additional Commissioner Training GAA coordinated the visit.
