'Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha' scheme to preserve Jagannath culture

Spread the love

By Pradeep Kumar Panda

Bhubaneswar, July 10: The Odisha Cabinet has approved ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’ under the State plan for augmentation of rural infrastructure leading to accelerated growth as well as promoting, preserving and protecting the Jagannath culture and tradition of the State. With a budget provision of Rs 4000 crore, the scheme covers all Gram Panchayats in each Block of the State with an entitlement of Rs. 50 lakh. The scheme will be implemented by Panchayati Raj and Disaster Management (PR & DW) Department.

On the occasion, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on said, “I am glad to brief you all about our new initiative Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha. This scheme has the vision of a New Odisha….. Aspirational Odisha … Modern Odisha, while retaining the essence, the soul and the spirit of Odisha.”

“Odisha has always been rooted in its culture, its tradition and its history. Odisha is the Land that gave Jagannath Culture to the world. A culture that is based on universal love, service and equality. It is based on inclusiveness and embraces everyone irrespective of caste and community,” he said.

In a historic move to preserve our Jagannath culture – protect our local places of worship, and sites of historical significance, and provide amenities to our pilgrims and visitors — every Gram Panchayat can take up work up to Rs. 10 lakh.

Every panchayat has places of local importance, rooted in spirituality and history. It is important for our future generations that they be preserved and protected. And who better to do this important work than our Panchayati Raj Institutions through ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’?,’ the Chie Minister stated.

The Odisha CM further said, “Together with strengthening our roots, New Odisha will also firm up her wings to scale the horizon. Our villages need internet connectivity, playgrounds, and science parks for the youth. They need training facilities, work hubs and skill centres for rural entrepreneurs, especially women.

We need to bridge the gap in education infrastructure, provide banking facilities, build digital infrastructure and take up other modernization works. This scheme will support panchayats to take up these works.”

“All original works from village temple restoration to building futuristic digital infrastructure can be taken up under ‘Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha’. Both shall go hand in hand.

It will herald a new Odisha – modern, dynamic and responsive – for our youth …. our women and children, entrepreneurs, farmers and tribals. This scheme will usher in an Odisha with Secure Roots and Powerful wings,” the Chief Minister concluded.

The State Government has modified the guidelines of the earlier intervention “Ama Gaon Ama Bikash” by giving it a new dimension in the form of “Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha” under State Plan to make it effective from the Financial Year 2023-24 for taking up measures to augment rural infrastructure leading to accelerated growth as well as to Promote, Preserve and Protect Jagannath culture and tradition of the State.

The vision of the intervention is to transform Odisha into a modern and aspirational Odisha retaining the essence, soul and spirit of Jagannath culture and spreading over to the world. Odisha is the Land that gave Jagannath Culture to the world. A culture that is based on universal love, service and equality.

The main objective of the scheme is to provide missing links to the existing small and essential projects and the development of infrastructure. Also achieving empowerment of women, and youth, bridging the critical gap in education, digital and sports facilities :

Improvement of infrastructure for primary education and also providing missing links to the existing development infrastructure, construction, modernization and expansion works
Creating additional facilities for Mission Shakti Groups at the GP level.
Bridging critical gaps at the GP level to improve rural areas by way of providing urban facilities.
Development of sports facilities for the youth.
Providing Banking Facilities
Improvement of digital access in terms of mobile connectivity, optical fibre connectivity, WiFi and internet connectivity

There is a budget provision of Rs. 4000.00 Crore under the Ama Odisha Nabin Odisha scheme from the State Budget. The scheme will cover all Gram Panchayats in each Block of the State with an entitlement of Rs. 50 lakhs. The project cost shall be between Rs. 2.50 lakh to Rs.10.00 lakh.

The projects under the scheme shall be suggested/ recommended by local people/community organizations/public representatives and other stakeholders. The consolidated Gram Panchayat wise project list of the Block shall be submitted to PR & DW Department with the signatures of the Collector and President, Zilla Parishad of the district for due examination and approval of the Government.

The Panchayat Samiti shall execute the work departmentally following due procedure. The Collector shall be authorized to select any other agency/agencies for the execution of work. Transparency measures such as a web-based MIS for monitoring the Scheme and a dedicated app for sharing photographs before, during and after each project with GIS tagging shall be developed under the scheme.