Bhubaneswar: A secretary-level meeting was held at Kharavela Bhawan on Saturday, chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg, to review the state’s financial performance, infrastructure progress, and key development sectors.
The Finance Department presented details of expenditure and revenue collection up to March 31, 2026. The meeting noted that total expenditure for the 2025-26 financial year rose by 8.8% compared to the same period last year. Programme expenditure increased by 10%.
Spending in agriculture, cooperation, fisheries, animal resources, and allied sectors rose by 13%. Infrastructure spending also increased over the previous year. Social sector expenditure grew by 13%, along with higher allocations in the handloom, tourism, and skill development sectors. The meeting reviewed department-wise expenditure.
Total revenue collection reached 83.42%, including the state’s own revenue, non-tax revenue, share in central taxes, and grants.
The meeting appreciated the efforts of departments such as Revenue, Steel and Mines, and Finance for maintaining growth in expenditure and revenue targets. It stressed reviewing infrastructure development programmes every 15 days in the context of the 2026-27 budget, with a focus on identifying issues and solutions.
The chief secretary advised consolidating similar schemes across departments into an integrated system to enable easier monitoring and review. Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh was tasked with examining the proposal at the departmental level and submitting recommendations.
Focusing on the vision of Developed Odisha 2036 and Developed India 2047, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Tourism Department, Balwant Singh, presented a roadmap for tourism development. The meeting highlighted tourism’s role in generating direct and indirect employment, promoting inclusive growth in rural and remote areas, developing skilled manpower, and preserving heritage, culture, and natural resources.
Coordination with departments such as Water Resources, Railways, National Highways, Works, Rural Development, and Revenue was discussed to support tourism expansion.
The chief secretary called for making Odisha’s tourism sector world-class. She urged all stakeholders to work together under the vision “Think India, Think Odisha” and emphasised the need to position Odisha as a preferred destination for international tourists. She also advised making the sector more attractive and expansive.
From April 2 to April 8, during “Sadhana Saptaha-2026,” officials and staff under Mission Karmayogi have been directed to complete at least one AI course and one iGOT marketplace course per week, with a minimum of four hours of training. Participants have been advised to share course completion on social media using the hashtag #igotitOdisha.
The initiative is part of a nationwide capacity-building effort led by the government of India’s Department of Personnel and Training through the Capacity Building Commission and Karmayogi Bharat. In Odisha, the General Administration and Public Grievance Department is coordinating implementation through the Gopabandhu Administrative Academy. Director General and Additional Chief Secretary Chithra Arumugam informed the meeting about the progress. The Chief Secretary directed departments and districts to ensure 100% onboarding on the iGOT platform and increase active usage.
