Berhampur: Union minister of state for youth affairs and sports, Raksha Nikhil Khadse, on Thursday reviewed ongoing projects in Gajapati under the centrally sponsored aspirational district programme and aspirational block plan with district-level officers at Paralakhemundi.
Gajapati, a tribal-dominated district, is one of the 10 districts in the state selected as an aspirational district, while Gumma and R.Udayagiri have been selected as aspirational blocks by the NITI Aayog.
The minister conducted a review of the progress in implementing different schemes in health, education, agriculture, horticulture, skill development and basic infrastructure, among others, in the district.
Gajapati collector Bijay Kumar Dash briefed the minister about the progress of different schemes and the latter, according to sources, was satisfied with the progress on key development parameters in the district.
The minister reportedly asked the officers to improve the parameters to receive awards from the central govt. She also laid stressed on convergence between different departments and programmes for better service delivery, sources said.
Before conducting the review, Khadse visited at least three villages and interacted with the stakeholders. At Munisingm, she interacted with those who planted rubber under the livelihood project. She also had a look at some of the products prepared by the women self-help group under the livelihood programme and interacted with them.
The minister also visited an Anganwadi centre at Anukundaguda and reviewed the activities under the Integrated Child Development Scheme and visited a health sub-centre at Taranguda village.
On Wednesday, she was in Bhubaneswar to attend the inauguration of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention.