Eastern Zonal Council Standing Committee Reviews 74 Agenda Items in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Flood management, inter-state river disputes, infrastructure projects and digital governance dominated discussions at the 15th Standing Committee meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council, where Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal reviewed key regional issues and agreed to strengthen coordination for their timely resolution.

The meeting, held at the State Convention Centre in Lok Seva Bhawan, was organised by the Inter-State Council Secretariat under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in association with the Odisha Government. Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg chaired the meeting in her capacity as the representative of the host state.

Senior officials, including Inter-State Council Secretariat Secretary Ashish Srivastava, Bihar Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit, Jharkhand Development Commissioner Ajay Kumar Singh and West Bengal Additional Chief Secretary Binod Kumar, participated in the deliberations along with senior officers from the four states.

The committee discussed 74 agenda items, comprising 12 pending issues, 61 fresh proposals and one presentation on governance best practices. The agenda covered a wide spectrum of subjects, including water resource management, railway projects, flood mitigation, digital infrastructure, cyber security, telecom connectivity, banking access, mining, rehabilitation, wildlife management and implementation of centrally sponsored schemes.

One of the major discussions centred on the Subarnarekha Multipurpose Project and recurring floods affecting Odisha and Jharkhand. Officials from the Water Resources Departments of both states were asked to hold detailed consultations and evolve a mutually acceptable solution before the next Eastern Zonal Council meeting.

The committee also reviewed issues relating to telecom connectivity, expansion of banking services in unbanked villages, cybercrime investigation, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects and railway-related land acquisition and compensation matters. Discussions were also held on rehabilitation linked to dam construction projects in Jharkhand.

Development programmes such as Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, PMAY 2.0, PMGSY, the PM-Vidyalaxmi Scheme, urban master planning, food safety, cooperative sector reforms, school dropout reduction and establishment of Special Courts for POCSO and rape cases also figured prominently during the meeting.

The afternoon session focused on innovative governance initiatives adopted by participating states. Odisha showcased its Ama Sathi WhatsApp chatbot for citizen services, the Subhadra Scheme and its entrepreneurship linkage through the Subhadra-to-Mudra initiative, besides presenting its tourism land bank model. Bihar highlighted the BHAVYA digital healthcare platform, Jharkhand shared its fisheries and community healthcare initiatives, while West Bengal presented innovations in digital classrooms, flood management, dredging and e-auction systems.

Inter-State Council Secretariat Secretary Ashish Srivastava said several issues requiring coordination among states and the Centre had been resolved during the meeting, while the remaining matters would be placed before the next meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council to be chaired by the Union Home Minister.

Closing the meeting, Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg underscored the importance of sustained inter-state cooperation and urged all participating states and departments to ensure timely follow-up on the decisions taken to accelerate development across the eastern region.