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The Mission PoWaR initiative in Odisha, announced earlier this week, is designed to deliver uninterrupted electricity supply, safe drinking water and last-mile road connectivity to all villages by March 2027. The programme will be driven through an inter-ministerial committee and regular status reports from district collectors. With the target revised after earlier deadlines were missed, the mission adopts the guiding principles of speed, scale and standard to address longstanding gaps in rural infrastructure.
The Odisha government has introduced Mission PoWaR (Power, Water and Roads) to address persistent deficits in basic infrastructure across rural and urban areas. The chief minister directed the launch of an integrated system of implementation, and a preliminary meeting was recently held under the chairmanship of the deputy chief minister. Advertisement
Under Mission PoWaR, an inter-ministerial committee along with officials from line departments will monitor progress regularly, and district collectors will submit panchayat-wise status reports. The programme will operate on three cardinal principles: speed, scale and standard (quality). According to the deputy chief minister, providing power, drinking water and last-mile road connectivity to every village is its core objective.
The plan sets a target of universal drinking water coverage by March 2027, and includes a separate fluoride-removal plan for areas affected by contamination. To ensure road access in left-out habitations and hamlets, a saturation drive will be launched across departments with support from district collectors.
Past data highlight the urgency of the mission: of the state's roughly 59,971 revenue villages, around 8,300 still lacked all-weather roads, despite previous schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) being in place since 2000. While official records indicate full village electrification, discrepancies persist at the household level.
The formation of a dedicated secretariat or special-purpose vehicle may also be considered to streamline implementation, and the mission embraces co-ordination among multiple departments including energy, drinking water & sanitation, and rural development.
Source PTI
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