By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, December 16, 2021: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sought special intervention from the centre in filling the infrastructural gaps caused by recurring natural calamities in the state.

During an interaction with a visiting delegation of the Niti Aayog led by its vice chairman Rajiv Kumar on Wednesday, Patnaik said though Odisha made substantial improvement in the last two decades in macroeconomic and socio-economic indicators, the state is faced with a huge infrastructural gap.

Focusing on long term issues, the Chief Minister said the State is burdened with infrastructural gaps and vulnerability to recurring natural calamities.

This requires a special dispensation from the Government of India to help the State to catch up with the frontline States, a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.

Welcoming the delegation, Patnaik said, “We would like to take this opportunity to present various longstanding and emergent developmental issues requiring support of NITI Aayog and Government of India.”

Patnaik said his government would welcome more consultations and collaboration in the course of strategy and policy formulation across sectors.

He said Odisha’s development strategies have been successful in combating Left Wing Extremism (LWE), and mobilisation and economic empowerment of nearly 70 lakh women through self-help groups.

“We are the third largest contributor to PDS (public distribution system) rice pool of the country. We have pioneered a conditional cash transfer system for pregnant women and lactating mothers,” he told the delegation.

Besides, Odisha’s health assurance scheme for cashless treatment in empanelled hospitals helps people to reduce out-of-pocket health expenditure.

Noting that the state has invested heavily in infrastructure development, Patnaik said there is still a requirement for improvement in the sector keeping in view the long-term issues.

Kumar congratulated Patnaik for the increase in the state’s per capita income, improvement in agriculture and mining along with managing the fiscal deficit below 5 per cent, the CMO statement said.

He also advised the state government to improve its mining production from 1 per cent to more than 2 per cent.

Kumar told the state government to set up an SDG (sustainable development goal) Monitoring Unit, besides suggesting switching to chemical-free agriculture.

He said that the Niti Aayog is keen to partner Odisha for chalking out a development blueprint for the state.