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Bhubaneswar, July 9: Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Thursday chaired a high-level review meeting of the Proactive Governance Attempt for Yielding Results and Advancing Social Sector (PRAYAS)initiative, assessing the implementation of key programmes in health, education, nutrition and tuberculosis (TB) elimination across Odisha.
The Odisha Government has established the PRAYAS platform to ensure effective implementation, regular monitoring and timely corrective action in critical social sectors, including health, school education, women and child development, social welfare and nutrition. While the Government of India's PRAGATI platform focuses on major infrastructure projects and other significant issues, PRAYAS has been designed to strengthen governance and improve outcomes in Odisha's social sector.
The meeting reviewed the performance of the School and Mass Education Department, Health and Family Welfare Department, and the Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department. Health and Family Welfare Commissioner-cum-Secretary Ashwathy S., School and Mass Education Commissioner-cum-Secretary N. Thirumala Naik, Director of Social Welfare P. Anvesha Reddy, along with Secretaries and senior officials of other departments, attended the meeting.
The Health and Family Welfare Department presented district-wise data on maternal mortality, institutional neonatal deaths and findings from field visits conducted by state-level monitoring teams.
The review showed a decline in maternal and neonatal mortality between January and June this year, attributed to regular field inspections and timely corrective interventions.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg directed officials to strictly adhere to referral protocols, ensure adequate deployment of doctors and healthcare personnel, strengthen hospital management, maintain uninterrupted availability of medicines and essential supplies, and enforce infection prevention measures in labour rooms, operation theatres and newborn care units.
District Collectors were instructed to conduct regular review meetings with Chief District Medical and Public Health Officers (CDM&PHOs), inspect healthcare facilities to identify implementation gaps and initiate immediate corrective measures. Monthly district-level reviews have also been made mandatory, while state-level teams will continue field visits to monitor compliance.
Tuberculosis elimination emerged as another major focus of the meeting, with special emphasis on theTB-Free India Campaign – 100-Day Campaign 2.0.
Health Secretary Ashwathy S. informed the meeting that progress under the campaign would be reviewed twice every month through both the PRAYAS and PRAGATI platforms.
India aims to eliminate tuberculosis by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, and the issue was highlighted by the Prime Minister during the PRAGATI meeting held on June 24.
In Odisha, 13,271 high-risk villages and urban wards have been identified for TB screening, while nearly 1.58 lakh such high-risk areas have been identified nationwide.
The review focused on strengthening X-ray-based TB screening, ensuring preventive treatment and improving follow-up of vulnerable populations. Districts have also been directed to appoint a senior nodal officer for every block to oversee implementation of the campaign.
The meeting reviewed strategies to improve learning outcomes based on the 2024–25 School Education Performance Grading Index (PGI).
Priority was given to strengthening students' reading, writing and numeracy skills while improving the quality of classroom teaching.
District administrations were directed to fill teacher vacancies in schools facing shortages, identify school dropouts and facilitate their re-enrolment, make hostels fully functional and expedite the commencement of higher secondary classes in newly upgraded schools.
The Chief Secretary also stressed coordinated efforts involving teachers, parents, local communities and government departments to reduce school dropout rates.
Reviewing the Women and Child Development programmes, Director of Social Welfare P. Anvesha Reddy outlined measures to tackle child malnutrition and discussed necessary interventions with District Collectors.
The meeting emphasised early identification, treatment and nutritional support for children suffering from stunting, wasting and underweight, along with improved nutrition for pregnant and lactating mothers.
Officials were also directed to promote early initiation of breastfeeding immediately after birth, ensure age-appropriate complementary feeding, and improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
The Chief Secretary advised departments to strengthen regular monitoring of children's height and weight at Anganwadi centres, increase home visits, expand nutrition counselling and intensify public awareness campaigns.
Under the Suposhita Odisha Mission, the State aims to make every Anganwadi service area malnutrition-free by 2029 by ensuring nutritious food, quality healthcare and timely support for children, mothers and other vulnerable groups, thereby reducing stunting, wasting, severe acute malnutrition, underweight and anaemia.
Concluding the meeting, Chief Secretary Anu Garg called upon all departments and district administrations to adopt a coordinated, field-oriented and results-driven approach to improve health, education and nutrition indicators across the State.
She also urged all stakeholders to transform conventional monitoring into a solution-oriented governance system capable of delivering measurable improvements in human development and accelerating social sector reforms in Odisha.
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