Berhampur/Koraput: The tribal-dominated Gajapati district was awarded Rs 3 crore by the NITI Aayog for its performance in the education sector. The award fund was declared after a review of the performance indicators in the second quarter (June 2024) of last year. Rayagada, another aspirational district in the state, was also awarded Rs 5 crore for its overall performance in the third quarter of last year (September 2024), sources said.
“We received a letter from the NITI Aayog, informing us of the district being awarded,” Gajapati collector Bijay Kumar Das said on Wednesday.
Gajapati district is one of the aspirational districts in the state and NITI Aayog monitors the district’s progress on the key performance indicators and provides performance-based additional allocations, securing ranks through the challenge methods, sources said. Earlier, the NITI Aayog, for monthly ranking of the aspirational districts, declared monthly awards.
“The recognition will motivate the district administration to continue strengthening its education system. The award is a result of the hard work of all officers concerned, especially the teachers,” Das added.
The award money will be utilised for strengthening the infrastructure of schools, such as construction of additional classrooms, smart classes and supply of drinking water facilities in schools and in hostels, among others, after approval from NITI Aayog.
Schools in several areas faced difficulties in accommodating students after the merger of several nearby schools. “We will conduct a review of the available infrastructural facilities at the schools and will accordingly, decide on utilising the funds,” Das said.
He added that the district administration would prepare the project proposals for the award funds in consultation with the state and central govt officers. The proposals would be sent to the NITI Aayog for approval before implementation.
Rayagada, identified as one of the 112 aspirational districts in the country due to slower progress in key social sectors, has made remarkable strides in recent times. According to the latest quarterly update for the period ending Sept 2024, Rayagada secured the third position in the national ranking among aspirational districts. Furthermore, it claimed the top spot among the 10 aspirational districts of Odisha for the same period.
The award of Rs 5 crore is intended to enhance development initiatives and accelerate progress across sectors such as health, education, infrastructure and financial inclusion, thereby improving the quality of life for its residents, stated a release from the Rayagada administration.