Odisha Steps Up Grassroots Preparations for Seva Sankalp Abhiyan

Bhubaneswar: Odisha is preparing to take a series of welfare, plantation and cleanliness initiatives directly to villages, with the Panchayati Raj Department calling for stronger coordination between field officials, Gram Panchayats and local communities.

The preparations for Seva Sankalp Abhiyan were reviewed at a meeting chaired by Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik, who directed officials to ensure that every eligible person is identified and linked to government schemes and services.

The review covered the proposed Seva Setu programme, the mega plantation drive under ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ and Swachhata Hi Seva 2026, with emphasis on taking the initiatives to the block and Gram Panchayat level.

Under Seva Setu, officials will organise activities to identify eligible beneficiaries and facilitate their enrolment in various State and Central government schemes. Naik directed officials to prepare block-wise calendars and create beneficiary data banks so that eligible people can be systematically identified and brought under the coverage of welfare programmes.

The minister stressed that effective implementation would depend on detailed field-level planning and sustained awareness among rural communities. Officials were asked to ensure that information about the programmes reaches people at the Gram Panchayat level.

The department also reviewed arrangements for the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ plantation drive. Officials were instructed to ensure adequate availability of saplings and make necessary arrangements for plantation activities, while encouraging local residents and community organisations to participate.

Preparations for Swachhata Hi Seva 2026, scheduled from September 17 to October 2, were taken up next. Cleanliness drives will be conducted at public places across rural areas, with Gram Panchayats, local organisations and citizens expected to participate.

The inauguration of 25 drinking water projects during the campaign period was also discussed as part of the preparations.

CDOs and BDOs from Sambalpur and Malkangiri shared their field-level preparedness and suggestions during the review. Officials and field functionaries from across the state were directed to intensify awareness activities at the block and Gram Panchayat levels.

Naik participated in the meeting through video conference from Kuchinda in Sambalpur. Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, Girish S.N.; Director, Special Projects, Sidharth Shankar Swain; Director, Drinking Water, Dr Vineet Bharadwaj and other senior officials, along with CDOs and BDOs from across Odisha, attended the meeting.

The department is focusing on coordinated grassroots implementation so that the Seva Sankalp initiatives translate into wider access to welfare services, greater community participation and visible development outcomes in rural areas.