High-Level Meeting Held To Boost Inter-Departmental Coordination

Bhubaneswar: 5/8/25:A high-level meeting was held on Tuesday at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar to enhance inter-departmental coordination for the implementation of Mega Piped Water Supply (PWS) Projects in Odisha.

The meeting was chaired by the Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary and aimed to ensure the timely execution of these projects through coordinated action and oversight among key departments.

Senior officials from various departments, including Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, Rural Development, Works, Forest & Environment, and Energy, as well as representatives from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), participated in the deliberations.

During the meeting, a review of 151 issues and pending approvals was conducted, and it was noted that 99 out of these issues have been resolved. The Development Commissioner urged all stakeholder departments to intensify their efforts and resolve the remaining issues on a priority basis.

A follow-up review meeting will be held within 15 days to assess progress, and the Inter-Departmental Committee on Rural Drinking Water Supply will reconvene in one month to ensure all outstanding issues are resolved.

The meeting also discussed the importance of timely forest clearances and decided to convene a dedicated meeting to review forest clearance-related issues. Additionally, the issue of encroachments along National Highways affecting pipeline and other utility works was discussed, and an assessment will be conducted to evaluate the extent of such encroachments.