Anu Garg Chairs First All-Secretaries Meeting

Bhubaneswar: Days after taking charge as the Chief Secretary of Odisha, Anu Garg on Thursday chaired her first all secretaries-level meeting, outlining a firm, reform-oriented administrative roadmap aligned with the State’s long-term Vision 2036 and Vision 2047.

The meeting saw a comprehensive review of the 15-point directives issued by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, with the Chief Secretary issuing clear instructions to ensure efficient, accountable and citizen-centric governance across all departments. Emphasising outcomes over processes, Garg called for a detailed assessment of the first two-year action plan under Odisha Vision 2036–2047, targeted strategies to achieve double-digit economic growth, and the expedited filling of vacant posts to strengthen administrative capacity.

Underscoring the need for a clean and effective governance system, the Chief Secretary stressed exemplary action against inefficient and incompetent employees. She also directed departments to prepare an annual training calendar under Mission Karmayogi to ensure continuous capacity-building of government employees. Project-wise monitoring was emphasised to maintain quality while accelerating the execution of district- and state-level projects, along with regular reviews of budgetary outcomes.

With only three months left in the current financial year, Garg placed special focus on financial performance, urging departments to accelerate programme expenditure to meet targets set under the 2025–26 Budget and to take concrete steps to achieve revenue collection goals. She also called for faster capital expenditure in key sectors including infrastructure, industry, ports, roads, bridges, drinking water, irrigation, energy and urban development.

Highlighting rural development priorities under Mission “Power”, the Chief Secretary stressed the need to ensure electricity, piped drinking water and all-weather road connectivity to every village. She also issued significant administrative directions, mandating that government presentations and meeting minutes be prepared in Odia, and that departmental websites be updated in both Odia and English.

Citizen services formed a key focus area, with Garg directing time-bound grievance redressal within 10 days, supported by proper documentation. Senior officers were instructed to record district tours and follow-up actions on the inspection portal to strengthen accountability and monitoring.

The meeting also reviewed key outcomes of the 5th National Chief Secretaries’ Conference, held in New Delhi on December 27–28 under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. Among the priorities discussed was the development of every Anganwadi centre as a “centre of happiness”, equipped with adequate infrastructure and amenities. The Chief Secretary directed that toilet facilities be provided and maintained in all Anganwadis by March 8, coinciding with International Women’s Day.

Discussions with the Higher Education and Skill Development Departments focused on improving academic quality, research, skill development and employment-oriented curricula. Emphasis was laid on preparing a multi-skilled, digitally trained workforce aligned with the needs of the industrial sector.

Other key focus areas included strengthening sports and co-curricular activities, improving tourism infrastructure and visitor facilities, promoting Atmanirbhar Bharat and Swadeshi ecosystems, and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities at individual and community levels to counter Maoist influence. Garg also highlighted Odisha’s potential contribution to value-added agricultural production at the global level.

Additional Chief Secretaries Satyabrata Sahu, Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh and Surendra Kumar, along with other additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, commissioners and senior officials, attended the meeting.