Odisha Prayas Meeting: Health, Education, Nutrition Reforms Reviewed

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has sharpened its focus on health, education, nutrition, and women & child development through the Prayas initiative, modelled on the Centre’s Pragati.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg chaired the latest review meeting, directing district collectors to ensure strict referral protocols, adequate staffing, uninterrupted medicine supply, and infection control to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths.

The state has intensified its tuberculosis elimination drive, targeting 13,271 high‑risk villages and wards with strengthened X‑ray screening, treatment adherence, and follow‑ups.

Dedicated officers will oversee progress at the block level, with reviews held twice monthly under Prayas and Pragati.

Education reforms were assessed using the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2024–25.

Priorities include improving literacy and numeracy, filling teacher vacancies, re‑enrolling dropouts, ensuring hostel functionality, and introducing +2 classes in upgraded schools.

On nutrition, the Suposhit Odisha Mission aims to make all Anganwadi‑covered areas malnutrition‑free by 2029.

Growth monitoring, home visits, and community awareness campaigns will be scaled up.

The Chief Secretary emphasised coordinated, field‑driven, and result‑oriented governance to strengthen human development indicators across Odisha.