Bhubaneswar, July 8: Chief Secretary Anu Garg chaired a high-level review meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan today to assess the progress of the Viksit Odisha Vision 2036 and Vision 2047initiatives.

The meeting was attended by the leadership team of The Convergence Foundation (TCF)and its partner organisations, including the Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS), Foundation for Economic Development (FED), Udayati, Prosperity, Rocket Learning, Central Square Foundation, Gati Foundation, and Atithi.

The meeting reviewed the progress of various initiatives being implemented under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)signed on February 13, 2025, between the Planning and Convergence Department, Government of Odisha, and The Convergence Foundation. It also discussed future areas of collaboration. The three-year MoU aims to provide strategic technical assistance to the Odisha government in key sectors to help achieve the goal of building aViksit Odisha by 2036.

The meeting was attended byPraveen Khangta, Chief Operating Officer of The Convergence Foundation,Parikshit Luthra, Director of Policy and Government Partnerships, along with representatives of TCF's partner organisations.

Currently, TCF and its partner institutions are working closely with several state government departments, including Industries; Labour and Employees' State Insurance; Women and Child Development; Housing and Urban Development; Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water; Health and Family Welfare; Tourism; Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME); Skill Development and Technical Education; Higher Education; and School and Mass Education.

Their collaboration spans several critical areas such as governance reforms, education, women's empowerment, tourism, skill development, urban reforms, mental health, environmental conservation, and economic development.

Chief SecretaryAnu Gargstressed the importance of strategic technical support from TCF and its partner organisations for the effective implementation of the goals outlined under Viksit Odisha Vision 2036 and Vision 2047. She said that a strong monitoring mechanism, combined with focused interventions in priority sectors, would ensure measurable outcomes and timely progress toward achieving the state's development objectives.

Senior officials, including Commissioners-cum-Secretaries of the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water; Higher Education; Skill Development and Technical Education; Sports and Youth Services; and MSME Departments, as well as theDirector of Municipal Administration, Director of Social Welfare, and senior officers from thePlanning and Convergence Departmentand other departments, participated in the meeting and contributed to the discussions.

Debendra Kumar Jena, Senior Advisor in the Office of the Chief Secretary, coordinated the meeting.