With its focus firmly on development, the government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been doing everything possible to remove hurdles in the way of major projects. While Patnaik and his secretary VK Pandian have been personally monitoring important projects, chief secretary Suresh Mohapatra has been imparting tips to officials of different departments on resolving delicate issues blocking the execution of major schemes.
Recently, he advised them to make use of the latest provisions of forest laws to smoothen the process of diversion of forest land which has time and again proved to be a major hurdle in the timely execution of projects. Reviewing the forest diversion proposals pending before the Forest and Environment department, Mahapatra advised principal secretaries and secretaries of different departments to develop software through which the forest diversion proposals can be dealt with online right from the time of initiation to the final sanction and issue of the certificates.
The chief secretary stressed the need for officers of the forest department to be properly oriented and fully aware of the recent permissive provisions of the law that allow the setting up of infrastructure projects and other development interventions in the forest land.
He asked the department to circulate a simplified guideline with frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers among the district and field-level officers of both the forest and user departments. The department was also advised to organize a regular orientation programme of forest and revenue officers and update them about the latest position of the law regarding the development of the critical socio-economic infrastructure.
This was timely advice by the chief secretary, considering that the delay in the diversion of forest land was a major issue flagged by project proponents at a recent meeting by the Cabinet Committee on Investment Project Monitoring Group (CCI-PMG), which reviewed the progress of 29 big-ticket projects envisaging an investment of around Rs 1,29,803 crore.
Similar initiatives are being taken on other fronts as well to ensure that projects move at the desired pace and the process of industrialization accelerates in the state. For example, a massive awareness drive has been launched to educate people on the government’s rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) policy which is among the best in the country. Such sensitization is necessary considering that misguided people sometimes block important projects by making completely irrational demands.
The state is presently witnessing an agitation against a major steel plant project in the Jagatsinghpur district. It is the same area where a few years ago people had resorted to violence while protesting against the steel project of South Korean major POSCO. Although the company had come out with a good R&R package, which was in tune with the state government’s policies, the protestors refused to see reason.
Recurrent violence in the project area and problems in land acquisition forced the company to withdraw from the state. Such developments dent the image of the state. There should never be a repeat of POSCO in Odisha.
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