On this day May 3, 1997, The New Indian Express (TNIE) started publishing from Odisha.
In a way, it coincided with the start of the journey of Odisha's transformation from a BIMARU State to a fast-developing economical and industrial powerhouse in the last 20 years.
The New Indian Express has scrupulously chronicled the very transformative journey along with the lacunae and missteps without fear or favour.
As TNIE crosses a milestone of 25 years in Odisha, we look back at the strides that the State has taken over the past two decades. From depending on overdraft 365 days a year to dispense salary of the employees to targeting a growth rate of more than 12 per cent, Odisha’s transformation has been exemplary, which a few states can match.
Coming out from the ravages inflicted by the 1999 super cyclone, which claimed 10,000 lives and ruined the livelihood and shelter of lakhs of people, Odisha now boasts of surplus in foodgrains, all-round social security, inclusive health care and education system benefiting the majority of the population, thanks to the proactive governance and deft administration.
For Odisha, which is blessed with an abundance of resources, the transition from a deficit state to a surplus state has taken a long time. The end of the 20th century and beginning of 21st century witnessed power change hands in Odisha and a new era was born. The people of Odisha, angered by the Congress government's mishandling of the post super cyclone situation, brought in the BJD-BJP alliance government in Odisha headed by Naveen Patnaik.
The financial situation continued to be in the doldrums till 2002 when steps were initiated to arrest the downward slide of the state. Panchanan Kanungo, who was the Minister of State for Finance till April, 2004, said that several measures were started under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to bring about a transformation and give a positive turn to the affairs of the State.
Several reform initiatives including austerity measures and increase in revenue collection were started to save the State from a debt trap. Several other measures including grain for work were introduced to create many assets during the post super cyclone. Strict monitoring at the check gates were also introduced to generate and save revenue to give a turn around to affairs of the State. The work continued over the years, which has culminated in the present situation where the State is targeting a growth rate which is more than the national average.
As austerity measures aimed to bring down spending, the State government decided to continue with the ban on new recruitment and abolished a whopping 44,197 vacant posts. Downsizing of the government establishment also helped to bring down the salary component which had become unmanageable and at one point of time consumed 98 percent of the earning. Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari while presenting the budget for 2020-21 said that over the last 20 years Odisha has achieved many milestones in the field of fiscal transparency and prudent fiscal management. The State government is committed to achieve fiscal targets of the Odisha Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, 2005. The 15th Finance Commission has also appreciated the financial management practices of Odisha. In fact, consistent generation of revenue surplus has provided additional fiscal space for capital investment.
Gradual increase in investment in Odisha from 2005 onward played a major role in the turnaround. The Odisha government signed more than 130 MoUs to establish steel plants in the State. So far, according to government claims, 36 steel plants are in different stages of implementation. The Jajpur district which has been identified as a growth centre by the State government has 10 steel, pig iron and sponge iron plants.
The Make in Odisha conclaves, the flagship industrial summit of the government, attracted investment intent worth over Rs 1 lakh crore across multiple sectors despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Two decades after the super cyclone, when Odisha's economical and social standing had touched an all-time low, the State is now ready with the "New Odisha-Empowered Odisha" dream with an agenda to transform health, agriculture, education, livelihoods, infrastructure as well as industries to the next level.
Not only that, Odisha has now become a model state in disaster preparedness and risk mitigation. It has faced at least five severe cyclones during the last 20 years and has managed them with aplomb. The devastation of the 1999 super cyclone has not been repeated. The focus of the government on zero casualty during disaster has ensured no one loses life to natural calamities. The Odisha model of disaster preparedness and mitigation has earned praise from the entire world including the United Nations.
Contribution of two new initiatives ‘Mo Sarkar’ and 5T governance model cannot be overlooked in the march towards a new Odisha. The Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) and Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) are two of the major schemes launched by the Odisha government. KALIA scheme brings under its umbrella 92 percent of cultivators of the State and almost all needy landless cultivators. So far, more than `3200 crore has been transferred to the accounts of farmers covering more than 37 lakh families in the State. BSKY has been launched to provide universal health coverage, with special emphasis on the health protection of economically vulnerable families. State Government bears the cost of healthcare provided in empanelled private hospitals for over 96.5 lakh economically vulnerable families in the State. The coverage amounts to annual health coverage of `5 lakh per family and additional `5 lakh for the women members of the family after exhaustion of initial limit. Smart health cards have been distributed to the people of all the 30 districts.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the priority of the government changed. Odisha’s response to the pandemic was decisive with the announcement of the Chief Minister that “Every life is important for us”. The entire government machinery especially ASHA and health workers, police personnel and other frontline Covid warriors worked day and night to ensure that the mortality rate in the state was kept low. The medical personnel, including doctors, nurses, paramedics and support staff, rose to the occasion and rendered selfless service, risking their own lives against an unknown deadly virus. To sum it all, a people centric model has been launched to prepare Odisha to improve governance in the State.