Odisha passes resolution to make disaster and pandemic preparedness a part of curriculum of schools and colleges

Bhubaneswar, May 29: The Council of Ministers passed the resolution to make disaster and pandemic preparedness a part of the curriculum of the schools and colleges. Addressing the council of ministers on the occasion of completion of second year of his 5th term, Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik said that every student, elected representative, government official, Misson Shakti members, and so on will be trained in disaster and pandemic preparedness.  “ This is a historic step and will enable and empower our future generations to withstand the vagaries of nature whether it is biological or climatic. Odisha will stand out in saving peoples lives.It flows from our realisation that community preparedness is key to disaster management,” he said. The CM further said that Odisha’s model of disaster management is now recognized the world over for its efficiency and humane approach. “Our State has been affected by two waves of infection so far. We have been able to ensure that all the healthcare systems are in place and we are not overwhelmed by the spread of the infection. Our government has been taking proactive steps to ensure that we are always ahead of the curve and in control of the situation. While other states had to unfortunately grapple with oxygen shortages, our government has been able to successfully manage the oxygen logistics for our hospitals and we have even provided oxygen to other states, saving many precious lives. However, we have a long way to go in Covid management. We are now focused on vaccination and mobilizing all possible resources to vaccinate and protect our people at the earliest,” said the CM. “One of our greatest strengths has been our community involvement at all levels and cooperation of the people in times of crisis. Our government is grateful to the people of Odisha for their continued cooperation and unconditional support to the efforts of the administration in dealing with one crisis after another. Their appreciation of the good works of the administration has been a constant motivation for our government in times of distress like cyclones and the pandemic,” he added. The CM further said that while the government has had to deal with crisis after crisis, it has not lost sight of the commitments made to the people of Odisha in the last elections. “Our major focus in this term has been the principles of 5T- Transparency, Technology, Team work, Time and Transformation. Every department has adopted a transformative agenda and is working relentlessly towards achieving the goals. To connect directly to the citizen, we had started the Mo Sarkar feedback system. Over a period of time, there have been visible changes in the attitude and behavior of the government servants at all levels towards the citizens. There have been sincere efforts for systemic and process-based changes to make administration and service delivery more citizen-friendly and technology oriented,” further said the CM. Patnaik also said that the government is having a special focus on the development of education and health. “Massive investment of over Rs 8500 crores in development of healthcare infrastructure across the State is under progress. The SCB Medical College and Hospital will be developed as a great institution with an investment of Rs 3500 crores. More than 786 doctors and 5137 paramedics have been recruited in the last one year alone. Education is the key to unravel the full potential of our children and therefore, the Transformation of the High Schools has been a main agenda and more than 1000 schools have been taken up in the first phase this year. To prepare our youth for the global job market, we have started the World Skill Center as part of our “Skilled in Odisha” program.  Our youth will be provided quality skills in every sector so that they can compete with the best in the world. Odisha continues to be a favorite investment destination. In spite of Covid situation we attracted some of the biggest investments in the country,” Patnaik said. The CM also said that agriculture and farmers’ development is the keystone of our State’s development. “We have kept our promises related to the Kalia Scheme by transferring more than Rs 6118 crores to the farmer’s accounts in last one year. With renewed vigour, our government has given strict timelines to complete the irrigation projects. The Upper Indravati Lift irrigation project and Lower Indravati project have been inaugurated this year. Towards women’s empowerment, we have been supporting the Mission shakti groups across the State. In a pioneering move, the Dept of Mission Shakti has been created. To enhance financial empowerment, it was decided that Government will proactively involve the Mission Shakti groups in various government activities worth 5000 cr in 5 years,” added Patnaik.