Bhubaneswar, 12/1 : In a significant move to accelerate rural infrastructure development across the state, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today chaired a high-level review meeting at the Lok Seva Bhawan to assess the progress of ongoing projects initiated under the ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’ (AONO) scheme.
While the current administration has announced the restructuring of the scheme under the new ‘Viksit Gaon, Viksit Odisha’ banner, the review focused on the status of over 90,000 projects sanctioned by the previous regime, ensuring that public funds already allocated are utilized effectively and without further delay.
Focus on Completion and Accountability
Addressing senior officials from the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, Chief Minister Majhi emphasized that development is a continuous process and must not be hindered by political transitions. However, he struck a note of caution regarding financial transparency.
“Our government is committed to the development of every village in Odisha. While we are rebranding and refining the rural development framework to ensure better accountability, the projects already on the ground—specifically those related to the preservation of Jagannath culture and essential village infrastructure—must be completed within the stipulated timeframe,” the Chief Minister stated.
Project Status and Directives
The ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’ scheme, originally launched with a budget provision of over ₹3,397 crore, aimed to cover 6,794 Gram Panchayats with an entitlement of ₹50 lakh each. The projects largely include the restoration of places of worship, construction of community halls, and digital infrastructure improvements.
During the review, it was highlighted that while a significant number of projects have been completed, several remain stalled due to administrative bottlenecks or pending Utilization Certificates (UCs).
Immediate Action: The CM directed District Collectors to submit a status report on all incomplete projects within 15 days.
Fund Utilization: Strict instructions were issued to ensure that funds released to the Gram Panchayats are not parked idly in bank accounts.
Quality Control: A special audit team has been tasked to verify the quality of construction, particularly for the temple renovation works undertaken in the last fiscal year.
Transition to ‘Viksit Gaon, Viksit Odisha’
The review comes amidst the state government’s broader push to modernize rural administration. Officials noted that future sanctions will align with the guidelines of the new ‘Viksit Gaon, Viksit Odisha’ initiative, which promises greater autonomy to Gram Sabhas in project selection—a shift from the top-down approach alleged in the previous AONO implementation.
The Chief Minister also took the opportunity to reiterate his government’s focus on digital connectivity, instructing the IT department to ensure that the “internet in every village” promise of the scheme is actualized with functional service, rather than just infrastructure setup.
The meeting concluded with a directive to prioritize projects that have reached 80% completion, ensuring they are dedicated to the public by the end of the current fiscal quarter.
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