Union Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha reviewed the developmental issues in left Wing Extremism (lWE)-affected districts in Odisha over a videoconferencing from New Delhi.
Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi along with Additional Chief Secretary Home Asit Kumar Tripathy, Director General of Police Kunwar Brajesh Singh and other senior officials participated in the discussion.
The issues relating to electrification of villages, establishment of solar parks, school education, literacy, skill development, promotion of entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, railway projects, tele connectivity, rural development and security matters were reviewed.
Chief Secretary Padhi requested the Union Cabinet Secretary for allocation of more funds to the State under solar water pump scheme and solar lantern as these schemes have been very successful and popular among people in the lWE areas. Padhi also highlighted the urgent need for opening of bank branches in the unbanked GPs of lWE areas and requested the Union Ministry of Finance to mobilize heads of different banks to cover these areas with new branches. Padhi emphasized that in the absence of any bank in about 85 per cent GPs of lWE affected districts, it becomes very difficult to carry forward the schemes aimed at financial inclusion.
Focusing upon the need for data connectivity in these areas, the Chief Secretary urged the Ministry of Telecommunication to upgrade the existing towers to 3G level. Padhi further requested the Cabinet Secretary for release of Central grant of Rs 280 crore under security related expenditure the accounts of which were already audited and approved.
Further, Chief Secretary Padhi requested Cabinet Secretary Sinha for starting of the construction work of Jeypore-Malkangiri rail line (130 km). Padhi highlighted the need of the project for a backward and large district like Malkangiri. The review revealed that realizing the need and importance of the project, the Ministry of Home sanctioned it in the financial year 2016-17. The Government of Odisha signed a MoU with the Ministry of Railways on October 10, 2016 for construction of the project under joint collaboration. Odisha was to share 25 per cent of the construction as well as land cost for the project. But the East Coast Railways, instead of starting the project work, asked for more financial assistance from the Government of Odisha in June, 2017 and the latter communicated its inability for further contribution.
Available data show, the electrification work in the Maoist-hit districts of Koraput and Malkangiri has been expedited. In Malkangiri district, only four villages remain to be electrified under the Din Dayal Upadhaya Gram Jyoti Yojana. Similarly, in Koraput district, 41 un-electrified villages remain to be electrified under DDG (Solar) scheme.
Target has been fixed to electrify these remaining 45 villages by October, 2017. It may be pertinent here to mention that Odisha used SECC, 2011 data for identification of deserving households to be provided electricity. With this data 10 lakh additional households would be provided electricity connection over and above the 1997 BPl list. In case of Koraput and Makangiri, around 80,845 additionalhouses would be covered under the programme.
A total number of 21 girls’ hostels were sanctioned for Koraput and Maakangiri district. Out of this nine hostels are in completion and finishing stage which would be completed soon. The work of balance 12 hotels is in progress. Padhi apprised the Cabinet Secretary that only 50 per cent of the Central grant has been received so far.