An initiative taken by the Balasore MP RK Jena paid off as the Government of Odisha and Tata Trusts formally launched a data-based dashboard under a comprehensive programme - Data, Evaluation, learning, Technology and Analysis (DElTA) - to ensure equitable distribution of benefits to the genuine beneficiaries.
With the launch of the data dashboard, Baleswar (at least two blocks) became one of the first districts in the Odisha and third in the country after Chandrapur in Maharashtra and Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh to adopt community owned planning for data driven governance.
The dashboard captured crucial data from households at a beneficiary level in two blocks of Baliapal and Basta in the district.
The Tata Trusts was roped in by MP Jena about one and a half years ago.
The initiative aimed at developing a systematic structure of participatory micro-planning based primarily on data intensive model village goals.
As a proof of concept, data of 90,000 households was collected covering 60 gram panchayats, 590 revenue villages and four lakh population in a span of four months.
Besides Jena, district Collector Pramod Das, Managing Trustee, Tata Trusts R Venkataramanan, MlA Basta Nityananda Sahu , MlA Jaleswar Aswani Patra and MlA Sadar JP Dash were among others present.
“A massive work, in the form of door to door survey, was done by the team, which comprised 800 volunteers. The survey in these blocks consumed about 8 lakhs man-hour. A magnificent job has been done by the team. The data driven tool model adopted by these two blocks would be replicated in other blocks of the district in phased manner. I would be inviting about 10-15 MPs to Baleswar and show the kind of job done here,” said Jena .
“Since our prime focus is employment to the unemployed youths, in the first phase 50 youths would be given skill development training and facilitated for employment. likewise, there is a plan of grooming 1,000 youths and facilitate their employment,” Jena added.
Conceding to various requests of MP Jena, Tata Trusts Managing Trustee Venkataramanan assured all possible helps for development of the district, including a cancer hospital and an agriculture centre of excellence.
“ We need a land near to the government medical college and hospital where we can establish a cancer hospital and About 100 acre patch anywhere in the district where best agriculture practices like Israel can be reflected,” said Mr Venkataramanan.
As a part of this initiative, an innovative approach for creating awareness about Government schemes through a collaborative effort involving key stakeholders and citizens themselves was undertaken.
This included implementation of IEC campaigns across the district and identification of crucial schemes such as Biju Patta and linkage to Aadhaar that were not availed by the citizens due to lack of awareness and low understanding of procedures.
Tata Trusts registered 6,000 beneficiaries for Aadhaar across 14 gram panchayats.
On the occasion, pattas for some beneficiaries and sports kits for the newly registered youths were distributed.
ZP president Nibedita Mohanty, BRIT Chairman Gouri Kumar Rout and line department officials were present.