Bhubaneswar: A consultative workshop on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was held between Odisha Government and NITI Aayog today in Kharabela Bhawan conference hall for looking into the indicators of SDG India Index 4.0 for the year 2021-22.
Addressing the Workshop, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra said: “State Government is committed to effect improvement in people’s quality of living through various schemes and programs aligned to human development index( HDI) for achieving 2030 Agenda”. Mahapatra added, “The developmental strategy of the State is to leave no one behind, and to reach all poor and vulnerable sections”.
The Odisha Chief Secretary emphasised upon reworking of the SDG assessment index taking into consideration the ground level developmental outcomes of all the State and Central Government schemes. He said that “the ultimate goal is to achieve 2030 agenda more inclusively”, and not to assess the outcomes of one or another specific scheme. Chief Secretary also asked all departments of the State Government to give their considered views and updated data inputs against 115 indicators pertaining to 16 Goals for SDG India Index 4.0. He thanked the NITI Ayog for taking state inputs as per the earlier request of the State Government.
Outlining objectives of the Workshop, Development Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena said, “the score of Odisha in the achievement of the SDGs constantly improved from 58 in 2018 to 61 in 2021”. He added, “The State Government is all set towards continuous improvement in service delivery, and furthering of inclusive development by aligning its schemes and programmes with 2030 Agenda”.
Further, Jena added that in SDG Index of 2020-21, State ranked No-1 in SDG-13 (Climate Action), and SDG 14 ( Life below water). Out of the 16 goals evaluated for the said year, Odisha was Frontrunner in 9 indicators and Performer in one indicator. The state has operationalised a dedicated PMU for the expeditious achievement of the SDGs”. He highlighted that State’s performance against many indicators was not appropriately computed as achievements in State-specific schemes were not taken into account. In some other indicators, the old data were used. In some other cases, there was no clarity of the data sources. He harped on making the SDG India Index 4.0 more inclusive taking into account of State’s developmental efforts and outcomes in all schemes and programs.
Smt Sanyukta Samaddar, Advisor NITI Aayog along with Saumya Guha, SDG Officer NITI Aayog presented different indicators taken up for SDG Index 4.0. Smt Samaddar said, “Odisha has been a state of reforms and innovations, and NITI Aayog team has always got valuable inputs from Odisha in making the SDG Framework more accurate and robust’. She hoped that SDG Index 4.0 would be finalized by end of March.
Agriculture Production Commissioner Sanjeev Chopra along with Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries of various departments participated in the deliberations on the points relating to their respective departments. It was decided in the workshop that Odisha would soon send one consolidated suggestive note on SDG Index 4.0 to NITI Ayog with inputs from concerned departments.
