CM asks collectors to hear peoples voice, address them

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday asked the district collectors to hear the voice of people and hold grievance days sincerly besides ensuing successful implementation of schemes and welfare programmes launched by the state government.

"I expect you (collectors) to tour extensively, hear the voices of people and hold grievance days sincerly with commitments," Patnaik told collectors while addressing one-day collectors conference here.

In order to bring greater focus to the redressal of grievances, Patnaik suggested collectors to hold the grievance day on Monday, the first day of the week, instead of conducting it on Saturday.

Shifting of grievance day to Monday will provide five days in a week to redress and follow up, he said.

"Let the message go that-People welfare and grievances comes first," the chief minister said adding that he would personally monitor different collectors grivance day hearing exercises.

While pointing out specific programmes, the chief minister said that the poorest of the poor should get the benefit and no one should have no complaint against implementation of welfare schemes.

Asking the collectors to focus on certain schemes designed by the state government keeping an eye on the welfare of the vulnerble section of the society, Patnaik said:" School going children, pregnant women, persons with disability, poor families needing treatment, indigeneous artist groups and SC & ST population are our priority."

Patnaik also made it clear that his government was giving importance to 13 such programmes including Mamata (for pregnant women), Odisha Treatment Fund (medical expences of poor), schemes for disables, Girls Hostel, Biju Setu Yojana, Biju Saharanchal Vidyutkaran Yojana and others for STs and SCs.

Elaborating Mamata Scheme, Patnaik said the state government had so far trasnferred nearly Rs 143 crore in the bank accounts of five lakh pregnant women who needed cash for proper treatment during their critical days.

Giving top most priority to the Rs 2 a kg rice scheme, Patnaik said that the collectors must ensure that the people in the remotest pockets get two sqaure meals a day.

"However, all these schemes will not be able to achieve their total impact if collectors as head of district administration in the district, are not in touch with the people," Patnaik said.