CM Naveen Patnaik says "We are working to remove investment bottlenecks" [Business Standard]

Odisha has got an abundance of natural resources. Why has this abundance of natural resources not yet resulted in the kind of growth that Odisha has the potential of generating, and what in your view is that is coming in the way?

Yes, we are very rich in natural resources and we have received large investments in the past decade. With large investments, you often have problems like environment and rehabilitation issues. We are trying to sort those out, so that industries can come up in Odisha.

You mentioned investment bottlenecks, for example, about Posco and Vedanta. Is there any specific action plan that you have to overcome these bottlenecks?

The problems with those two companies will be sorted out. The prime minister has even spoken with the South Korean president to resolve the Posco issue expeditiously.

It is feared that some recent issues like the chit-fund scam and the problems that the mining sector has witnessed may vitiate the state's investment climate. How serious do you think are these issues?

Ever since we took office 15 years ago, we have tried to run a transparent government and taken strict action to quell such crimes. As far as the fiscal situation is concerned, when have come a long way from the ghastly situation in the year 2000. Today, we are a revenue-surplus state and financially much more stable.

You are one of the few Indian chief ministers in the country who had an uninterrupted run of three straight terms. You have achieved a lot in the past 14 years. Where do you see the state 20 years from now?

We have made rapid progress in sectors like irrigation, agriculture, and of course, infrastructure. Our anti-poverty programmes and pro-poor schemes for women and the tribal people have been successful. I do hope that Odisha is on course to become a very prosperous state in the future.

What kind of equation does the state share with the new Narendra Modi-led central government, and what possibilities does it hold for Odisha?

I hope the new central government will take constructive steps and meet Odisha's demands .

What about Odisha's demand for a special- category status?

That is our demand and we are working towards that.

PPPs to play key role in public service delivery, says CM Naveen Patnaik [Business Standard]

Aiming to make Odisha's multi-faceted schemes and programmes in different socio-economic sectors sustainable, the state government is betting big on the development of infrastructure through the private-public partnership (PPP) route.

"A key objective of my government now is to progressively address the huge task of achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth and accelerating human development in the state. This places greater emphasis on upgradation and improvement of the infrastructure base in the state and efficient delivery of public services. We realise that infrastructure development alone would make our multi-faceted schemes and programmes in different socio-economic sectors sustainable, leading to greater growth multipliers," said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Business Standard Odisha Round Table-2014.

He stressed that PPPs will play a pivotal role in the achievement of this vision. The state has targeted attracting investment of at least Rs 5,000 crore in the infrastructure sector through PPPs during the 12th Plan period. "We are well on track to achieve this target," said Patnaik.

Several initiatives have been undertaken in municipal corporations for solid waste management and street lighting through PPPs. Dedicated budgetary provisions have been made for viability-gap funding, which would catalyse the geographic spread of PPPs in Odisha, Patnaik said.

Understanding the need for road, rail and air connectivity, the state has lined up big investments in these critical infrastructure areas as well.

The Odisha State Highways Development Project has been launched for widening all state highways over a three-year period. The projects are being implemented through external assistance as well as PPPs.

The state government has been investing in special-purpose vehicles for faster execution of railway projects of economic importance. For better air connectivity, Biju Patnaik Airport has been upgraded to an international airport, while another airport at Jharsuguda is being developed with partial state funding.

Urban development has also found place in the state government's agenda of priority. The state is taking up projects to improve the urban transport system, sewerage, drainage, drinking water supply, sanitation and housing on a large scale.

To ensure uninterrupted power supply for the people of Odisha, the state government is investing heavily in the power infrastructure. It is implementing schemes like CAPEX in the power sector, and the installation of 550 33/11 KV sub-stations to improve the quality as well as quantity of power supply in the state. Besides, massive investments have been attracted from the private sector for setting up thermal power stations, he added.

Odisha, which has drawn considerable investment in the metals and mining sectors over the past decade, is now keen to attract investors to set up industries that can run without dependence on its rich mineral resources.

"We are endeavouring to diversify Odisha's investment base by focusing on sectors not dependent on natural resources, such as agribusiness, tourism and information technology. Extremely forward-looking policies are under formulation for the fishery and poultry sectors," Patnaik said.

He expressed the hope that once these policies were in place, they would attract large commercial investments in these sectors.

The series of reform measures in the industry, infrastructure, financial and social sectors over the past decade has resulted in rapid growth for the state during both the 10th and 11th five-year plan periods.

The remarkable fiscal turnaround achieved by the state over the past decade is an example for the whole country. The state could generate a sizeable fiscal space for increasing the plan and capital investment in essential sectors to bridge the developmental gaps, Patnaik observed.

The state believes that growth in agriculture can result in faster reduction in poverty. In order to provide focused attention to this sector, the state government introduced a separate Agriculture Budget from the year 2013-14, Patnaik added. n

Besides, the state has formulated the food processing policy, 2013 to attract investments in food parks and food processing units, he said.

CM Naveen Patnaik directs authorities to complete construction work of five new Government medical colleges [Odisha Diary]

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed the Health Department authorities to complete the construction work of five new Government medical colleges and hospital at Baleswar, Baripada, Puri, Koraput and Bolangir within the specified time frame and initiate the process of recruitment of doctors and paramedical staffs for these medical colleges.  

He also directed the concerned authorities to expedite infrastructure development of three existing Government medical colleges as per the guidelines of the Medical Council of India (MCI). A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting held under chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat on Wednesday. The meeting discussed about the infrastructure development of five new Government medical colleges and hospital and three existing Government medical colleges and hospitals at Cuttack, Brahmapur and Burla and appointment in the vacant posts in the Health Department. The Revenue Divisional Commissioners (RDCs) would remain in charge of administrators of three Government medical colleges and hospitals in the State to oversee health services.   

The Chief Minister also underscored the need for filling up the vacant posts in the Transplant unit of these medical colleges and distribution of free medicines to poor patients.Patnaik also directed the authorities to initiate disciplinary action against the errant doctors who have unauthorisedly gone on long leaves.Among others, Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Chief Secretary GC Pati and Development Commissioner AP Padhi were present.

CM Naveen Patnaik asks Party MPs to Raise State Issues in Parliament [Indian Express]

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday met party MPs in BJD office in Parliament and discussed issues of the State that can be raised in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Naveen asked the MPs to raise major issues like development of railway network, coal block allocation, development of national highways and improvement of road network in Maoist affected areas in the State.

“We discussed the requirements of the party MPs and issues pertaining to the State,” the Chief Minister said after his return from a four-day visit to the national capital.

Leader of the BJD Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha Bhatruhari Mahatab said the Chief Minister also wanted to know from the MPs about the issues raised by them during the session. Naveen also apprised the MPs about his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu at New Delhi.

Mahatab said the Chief Minister underscored the need for more funds from the Centre for undertaking development work in the State. Naveen went to the Central Hall of the Parliament and greeted JD-U leader Sharad Yadav.

CM Naveen Patnaik says : Odisha to spend Rs 5,000 crore in IT sector in next 5 years [Niti Central]

Odisha would spend around Rs 5,000 crore on IT in the next five years to provide services through electronic mode and entire Bhubaneswar would be made a WiFi-enabled city, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said today.

“As per the ICT (information and communication technology) Policy, every department will now earmark two per cent of its annual plan budget or one per cent of its overall budget, whichever is higher for IT spending so as to provide services through electronic mode,” Patnaik said.

In the process, the state government would spend around Rs 5,000 crore from its budget in the next five years for IT or IT enabled services and ESDM (Electronic System Design and Manufacturing), he said, after inaugurating the new IT block of Tech Mahindra here.

BJD led Odisha Govt. cares for every Odia's health & safety. The Health & Family Welfare Dept. issues a Dos & Don'ts for Jaundice [Dharitri]

CM Naveen Patnaik says to the concerned Officers, "Take steps for speedy procurement of paddy" [Odisha Channel]

Taking note of media reports that thousands of farmers were facing a series of hurdles in selling their paddy, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday directed the officials concerned to take immediate measures for speedy procurement of paddy in the State.

Patnaik issued the direction after he chaired a meeting to review paddy procurement and snags in the online payment system at the paddy procurement centres in several districts at the State Secretariat here.

The Chief Minister directed the officials of the Food Supplies & Consumer Welfare Department to make immediate online payments to farmers for the paddy procured from them.

In the event of snags in the online system, Patnaik ordered that payments should be immediately done through cheques.

Media reports over the past few days indicated that farmers were not able to sale their paddy despite bringing their produce to the procurement centres even three weeks ago.

Odisha Government has fixed a target to procure 30 lakh tonnes of paddy during the current Kharif season and 17 lakh tonnes would be procured in the first phase.

According to official sources, while procurement is in progress in full swing in the districts such as Bargarh, Sambalpur, Balangir, Rayagada and Keonjhar, the process has started in Kalahandi, Subarnapur, Boudh and Mayurbhanj.

The procurement of paddy will start in the districts of Khurda, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur in January.

The farmers in most parts of Odisha are expecting a good harvest of paddy this season, but the government’s failure to procure their produce has left them distressed.

While the State Civil Supplies Corporation had procured only 1.72 lakh tonnes of paddy till Friday, no other agency had started procurement of paddy so far, according to an official release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office.

At many places the rice mills owners were not extending their cooperation thereby putting the government agencies in great difficulty in procuring paddy.

While directing government officials to make surprise visit to procurement centre, the Chief Minister has ordered that action be taken against the erring rice mill owners.

Andhra Pradesh hails CM NAVEEN PATNAIK as Hero [The Pioneer]

October 29, 1999 had ushered in a new era for Odisha. October would be a natural calamity month. Storms would form in the Bay of Bengal, most disappearing after showing red eyes only, but once in a while one or two very severe cyclonic storms would blow over. Fortunately now, splendidly accurate storm-determining systems have come up, unlike in 1999. Meteorologists have also developed a mechanism for naming severe storms by nations in rotation.

No wonder, most cyclones are feminine because males are less potent anyway. The deadliest on record, Hurricane Katrina, an Atlantic storm formed over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005 had pounded many regions causing irreparable damage to the tune of 108 billion US dollars then, on the coast and inland in multiple landfalls with severest storm surges causing both ‘blow-away’ damage and flood disasters across four days between August 28 and 31. The storm caused such floods as the Americans had never known to even be able to devise a strategy to remain just safe. Katrina with a peak speed of 280 km an hour is the strangest storm known in history.  

The 1999 Super Cyclone in Odisha had touched the entire civilised world so deeply that help came rushing even from strange individuals in faraway countries. Money came like storm surges; volunteers appeared in thousands; ideas and wisdom along with the works poured in overload quantities. The State machinery did not know what to do and how to do anything well. The neighbouring Andhra Pradesh personnel appeared like messiahs to clear roads, remove debris, trace 10,000 rotting human corpses and countless cattle and livestock carcasses and consign them to flames, while the Odisha authorities and volunteers kept gaping in utter confusion. Chandrababu Naidu was considered a demigod.   

Come 2014 and there is a wholly different picture! Cyclone Hudhud, named after an innocent bird in the Southeast Asia, was to make landfall on the Odisha coast. God decided to deflect it to the Andhra coast. The port city of Vizag was to suffer the landfall on October 12. Andhra Pradesh was witless. Despite every preparation, panic had left everything in disarray. By now, Odisha people had become experts in storm management, evacuation, rescue operations and trauma reduction due to constant training and exposure over the years.

Naveen Patnaik, as if to pay back a debt, dispatched highly-trained State personnel. The State’s Fire Service force was on the Andhra soil by the noon of October 13. The 453-strong Odia team equipped with 239 power saws, cutters, 152 power lights, 23 combi-tools and four mobile mini mast lights, all this spread out across the devastated locations to commence rescue and relief work like, taking command from the leaders, more in sign language than screams. Further, 106 men from the Odisha Disaster Response force were dispatched with power cutters, tree fellers-pruners, concrete-steel cutters, hydra cutters and spreaders, et cetera, to engage in high-speed clearing of blocked roads, removing huge fallen trees, electric poles, collapsed structures after installing night floodlights at strategic junctions.

What Andhra did to Odisha in 1999 after days, Odisha did in return by arriving on the spot in hours and the victims were amazed to realise that life can be back to normal soon enough. The trauma factor was virtually dispelled. Victims in Vizag and Srikakulam, like elsewhere, would never be able to forget Odisha rescuers ever for what they did at incredible speed and precision. The Andhra media was over-awed with the contribution of the Odisha team.

That Naveen was guided by good public officials is an undeniable fact. The Special Relief Commissioner and the ADG of Fire Services are a few of the great masterminds who came up with ideas and plans at high speed and organised to have them implemented without losing one moment. On inquiry over phone, Fire Services ADG M Nageswar Rao said it was just a routine duty well-done mainly because the personnel had their skills kept sharp by constant honing through scientific practice. SRC Pradipta Mahapatra, a restless, high-voltage workaholic, said he has not been able to come back to the routine regimen because he was keen that his force return soon and narrate unique tales to learn even more. Pradipta says he was reminded by colleagues from time to time about food and sleep being vital to keep life during the tough hours of planning and monitoring when nothing but saving life and property was highest on his agenda. Similarly, on nagging only, Nageswar Rao would say, “I would only imagine we have not done injustice to the expectations of the victims, the people and the witnessing world around. The Chief Minister had ordered the best possible help to be provided. Thank God, our learning has been put to good use. We are overwhelmed by the media coverage in Andhra Pradesh. Every media house has hailed Shri Naveen Patnaik as a hero. AP CM Chandrababu Naidu visited personally all the cut-off locations to see what we have been doing. The officials of Andhra confess to the fact that Odisha repaid the Andhra debt multi-fold, which is humanity.”

Lastly, the NGO role may be scrutinised. During the 1999 Super Cyclone, the NGOs woke up as late as usual (communication system was not so fantastic then) and kept crazily waiting for the money pots to fall on head. Once the dough was in hand, activities got madly brisk. The external agencies did not care for rigid auditing or scrutiny. Their sole objective was to save lives and rebuild livelihood systems very fast. Big NGOs with huge money flowing went virtually mad. They neither had the exposure-experience nor the broad heart to give away. They created clusters of smaller NGOs (many were born of the cyclone) and behaved as local funding agencies to show off. The founders and leaders used the situation and the free money without tight strings to project themselves as great saviours without ever confessing to the outside world that they were mere social contractors to bring relief to the victims in a most ethically correct fashion. Ordinary people, the same way as ordinary officials, did not understand how the NGOs operated. So they saw the NGO leaders screaming of ‘doing great things’, ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’. It so happened that the NGOs formed solidarity groups and browbeat the poorer, hungrier ones in such a dictatorial manner that rebellions erupted and friends and followers became bitter enemies forever. Dirty politics prevailed for quite some time, but big talkers had managed to steal the lime light by displaying big-spend and confounding the media. Emergency purchase of shelter sheets, dry food, bottled water, hiring of vehicles had kickback and the mere number of ignorant hungry, needy volunteers had to keep singing praise for the machinating leaders for a little dole-out and in result, extremely self-centric, fraudulent NGO founders assumed larger-than-life pictures. Some of them used the post-Super Cyclone plank to build international careers.

Enough documentary evidence is available to have the NGO pretenders nabbed even today. The moot point is that no NGO, big or small, has shown good enough face in the 2014 Hudhud rescue-relief operations because big funding agencies have stopped assistance or are suspicious of this rare tribe. It is of course true that perfect NGOs do exist, but their number is miniscule. A nearly-confused leader said a band of 15 volunteers is on a tour to AP with only 50 thousand rupees in hand, just good enough for a two-day excursion without any serious work. Not a single big NGO leader, stealing fat salary, has ever donated one month’s salary for relief of any community in distress. The good ones, mostly impoverished, are doing great work without being seen.

CM Shri Naveen Patnaik says Flood situation shows signs of improvement [Odisha Diary]

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik says Flood situation shows signs of improvement in the state, water levels of major rivers receding.  

Despite the fact that floodwater in most rivers had started receding, the plight of lakhs of people in the affected areas was turning worse with basic needs like polythene sheets, drinking water and food materials not reaching them.

These people were taking shelter under the open sky on embankments and roadsides for the last five days. The miseries of the affected people spending sleepless nights compounded with fresh low pressure induced intermittent rains which had started since Friday.

Complaints were galore relating to the non-provision of essential relief materials from the districts of Jajpur, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada and Puri districts, where over 1.35 lakh people were still taking shelter on embankments and roads. Besides, an estimated 3.37 lakh people were marooned in 526 villages where relief materials were a far cry.

The allegation of starvation death of one elderly woman in the flood-affected Phulpur village under Dharmasala block in Jajpur district due to non-provision of relief exposed the failure of the administration to come to the aid of the people in distress.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Mohapatra on Saturday directed the Jajpur district Collector to inquire into the matter. The SRC admitted that fresh rains had added to the woes of the affected people, particularly those taking shelter on embankments.

However, the SRC said that there was enough stock of relief materials including food stuffs and added that the district authorities had been advised to undertake coordinated effort in distribution of relief materials through the local Sarpanches of affected villages to avoid any short supply of relief materials including fodders.

He said that as many as 1.59 lakh people were still taking shelter on safer places and were being given cooked food through 204 relief centers.

On the flood situation, Mohapatra said that over 1.35 lakh people had taken shelter on various river embankments and roads although the water level in all the major rivers had started receding and there was no new breach. As many as 38 breaches had occurred so far, he informed.

But in the downstream of the Mahanadi in deltaic region, the flood water in the districts of Puri, Jagatsinghpur , Kendrapada and parts of Khurda had caused serious problem as large areas had been inundated. Overall there had been respite from a major flood situation in the Mahanadi delta region, he said.

On the discharge from Hirakud reservoir, the SRC said that only 24 sluice gates were kept open at present following a reduced inflow of water in the Mahanadi.  Considering the inflow and weather condition, some more gates are likely to be closed, he said.

With one more casualty reported on Saturday, the death toll in the current flood increased to 22.

Meanwhile, local Met office said a low pressure area had formed over the north Bay of Bengal region under the influence of a cyclonic circulation. The low pressure will further trigger rains at most places over north Odisha and at a few places over south Odisha during next 24 hours while heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur at one or two places over north Odisha during next 24 hours. Gusty surface wind speed reaching 35 to 45 kmph and rising up to 55 kmph might prevail along and off the State’s coast, it said, sounding a word of caution for the fishermen while venturing into the sea.

CM Shri Naveen Patnaik speaks to Mamata Banerjee to resolve the POTATO Crisis [Dna India]

The potato crisis has been resolved in Odisha, with neighbouring state West Bengal lifting curbs on the movement of tuber laden trucks to state.

Hundreds of West-Bengal bound fish and eggs-laden trucks, which were stopped on the Odisha side of the border by BJD activists in protest against curbs on potato-laden trucks to the state, were also allowed to move out.

"The West Bengal government has allowed movement of potato-laden trucks detained at its border from 11 am today. While some vehicles have already reached here including Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, others will reach at different places of the state soon," Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma said.

Dasburma said the crisis was resolved after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik spoke to his West Bengal counterpart yesterday.

Stating that the potato procured though NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) would reach the state by Wednesday, he said Odisha would put in place an action plan to resolve crisis arising out of potato shortage.

"We have allowed the fish trucks to West bengal after they agreed to send potato to Odisha," BJD MLA from Jaleswar Aswani Patra said.

CM Naveen Patnaik makes aerial survey of flood-hit areas, orders for relief for 7 more days [Odisha Diary]

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik makes aerial survey of flood-hit areas. CM Patnaik makes aerial survey of flood-hit Jajpur, Bhadrak, Puri, Cuttack and Kendrapara districts. After his visit to flood hit districts , CM Patnaik orders for relief for 7 more days. 

It should be noted that Flood situation turns grim in Odisha as major rivers in spate, 10 lakh people affected. This was informed by the Special Relief Commissioner office. The death toll due to heavy rains and floods has gone up to 34 including 19 in the current phase. He said that a total of 26 breaches including both small and big have occurred at various places in the embankments of different rivers. 

About 9.95 lakh people have been affected due to this phase of heavy rain and flood commenced on 3rd August, 2014. As on date, 398 villages with population of 241658 are marooned. 139023 people have been evacuated and 429 free kitchens are running to provide hot meal to them.  

As many as 11 NDRF teams and 30 ODRAF teams have been deployed in different districts to assist the administration in rescue and relief operations. Apart from free kitchens running, dry food in shape of Q.1153.98 chuda and Q.114.63 gur have been distributed to the affected people .