Chief Secretary focused on Covid containment, categorization of OA cases, e-abhijog, online delivery of services and enhancing revenue generation
Bhubaneswar: In compliance to the norms of ‘social distancing’ and application of technology in Governance, all Secretaries meeting was held today through digital modes under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Sri Asit Tripathy in which all Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries and Secretaries joined through OSWAS platform.
Complimenting performance of the departments in delivery of online services under 5T charter, Chief Secretary Sri Tripathy directed various departments associated with covid management to be “more sharp and vigilant on containment of covid in the State. The Observers, CDMOs and Collectors of the hotspot districts were directed to ensure supply of life saving drugs in their respective hospitals. Sri Tripathy added, “ Keeping in view possibility of increase in patient load, the covid hospitals must be kept free of asymptomatic cases. The covid care centers (CCCs) be equipped with required support for treatment of a symptomatic cases, and, advance preparations must be done for increasing beds in hospitals as per necessity”. Sri Tripathy added “the diet allowance per patient in CCC is enhanced to Rs 240/- and provide them good food as per the suggested manue”
Chief Secretary further directed concerned departments and collectors to ensure continuance industrial, agricultural, horticultural, mining activities. Transport of goods must be continued to ensure supply of essential commodities throughout the State. Different departments were directed to workout the SOP for ‘facilitating work from home’ since the fight against covid is expected to be long haul.
Reviewing the kind of cases transferred from Odisha Administrative tribunal to High Court, Chief Secretary Sri Tripathy directed concerned departments to categorize the cases like regularization, pensions, promotion, transfer etc and take clear cut in principle decisions for early disposal of the case. For the purpose, a committee was constituted under the Chairmanship of Development Commissioner. The departments were directed to prioritize the applications received under e-abhijog and take those to logical conclusions. Chief Secretary also directed to put more and more public services on online mode.
Principal Secretary Finance Sri Ashok Meena presented fiscal performance of the State up to June, 2020. Review showed that though total program expenditure of all departments up to June, 2020 reduced by around 5.06%, in comparison to last fiscal; the expenditure in social and other sectors increased considerably. The total programme expenditure up to June, 2020 in current fiscal was around Rs.8923 cr against the last years expenditure of around Rs.9399 cr. But the expenditure in social sectors including health and family welfare programmes was around Rs.5,281 cr up to June, 2020, against the last years’ expenditure of Rs.4225cr. Similarly, the expenditure in other sectors including food security programmes has been around Rs.1607 cr against last years’ expenditure of Rs.305 cr.
Further, Principal Secretary Sri Meena presented that the total revenue augmentation from both own-tax and non-tax sources up to June, 2020 came down by around 22.94% in comparison to corresponding period of last year. The total revenue collection up to June of current fiscal year was Rs.8,204 Cr against the last year collection of Rs. 10,645 cr. Though the total own tax collection felled around 35%, the total non-tax revenue up to June, 2020 increased by around 3%. The total non-tax revenue up to June, 2019 was Rs.3506 Cr which increased to Rs. 3609 cr up to June, 2020.
Development Commissioner Sri Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Additional Chief Secretary Steel & Mines Sri Raj Kumar Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary Health & Family Welfare Sri Pradeepta Kumar Mohapatra, Additional Chief Secretary and SRC Sri Pardeep Kumar Jena, Additional Chief Secretary Forest & Environment Dr Mona Sharma along with all Principal Secretaries and Secretaries participated in the deliberations.