The NITI Aayog has appreciated the efforts of the Aspirational Districts in Odisha for taking up innovative initiatives to improve governance in the backward areas.
A latest report on Aspirational Districts reveals that districts of Gajapati, Koraput andDhenkanal’s efforts in education, healthcare and service delivery mechanism have been appreciated by the NITI Aayog.
These activities are recorded as initiatives taken by these districts along with other districts of the States, which provide clue to other district authorities to replicate the same.
The Gajapatidistrict administration hastaken an innovative initiative for engaging volunteers for teaching in schools. Gajapati district Collector Anupam Shah in order to provide emphasis on ‘teaching’ in schools, started ‘Teach Gajapati’, which has come out as a success.
Shah started the programmeunder “Mo School Abhiyan” of the State Government with a vision of active participation of alumni of respective schools, interested public and community at large for overall development of schools.
The ‘Teach Gajapati’ is his brain child and he taught in the schools after which it caught the imagination of the NITI Aayog.Willing Government officers including District Magistrate enroll themselves for the purpose.
Till date 60 officers have taken 572 classes and over 3,100 students have been benefitted, said a senior officer of Gajapati district administration. Similarly, the NITI Aayog has appreciated efforts of the Koraputdistrict administration in reduction of malaria and other parasitic incidences.
District Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy has taken an initiative in the programmeof Mission Annual Parasitic Incidence (API) as a result of which reduction has taken place from above 30 to less than two in 18 months. The NITI Aayog under health and nutrition sector, has recorded the programme of innovation and reported that convergence of practices relating to reduction of malaria has yielded positive results.
Odisha has turned out as a role model for malaria control and the State administration’s efforts have been appreciated by the United Nations Organizations like the WHO.
The district administration stressed on change in attitudes and behaviour of tribal people, which helped in control of malaria to a great extent.
The innovative initiative of the district administration of Dhenkanal has been appreciated by the NITI Aayog for improvement in last mile delivery of health service.
Implemented under ‘Kalpana’ programme, it has reduced maternal and infant deaths in the district.
The programme has improved child sex ratio in the district, officials admit.
Last-mile monitoring and regular ultrasound check-ups and convergence of the various schemes has helped in yielding positive results in the district.
The innovative initiatives of the districts of Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, Ramanathpuram in Tamil Nadu and Gadchirolli in Maharashtra in improving healthcare and nutrition have been appreciated by the NITI Aayog.