Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday proposed that the state government work together with the World Bank in a number of fields, including higher education, skill development, green energy, drought mitigation and drinking water.
“The state government lays emphasis on development of irrigation potential though mega lift Irrigation projects in upland areas without involving rehabilitation and resettlement issues while increasing the efficiency of water used for irrigation. Tapping green energy sources like solar power, drought mitigation through creation of in-stream structure for irrigation and drinking are also high-priority items in our agenda for development,” Patnaik said at a meeting with a nine-member World Bank team and government officials at the secretariat.
“These are some of the areas in which we can work together,” he said.
“Currently the state is availing technical and advisory support as well as programmatic investment support in the areas of irrigation, road sector and post cyclone rehabilitation,” he said.
“We have also sought support of the World Bank for our higher education system, improving rural livelihood and skill development,” said the Chief Minister.
Patnaik said World Bank has played a vital role in the growth of the state’s economy and the turnaround of its finances. “Our engagement with World Bank spans several decades in diverse areas ranging from hydro power, agriculture, road sector, health and technical education to structural adjustment support for fiscal restructuring,” he pointed out.
The WB team including country heads and executive directors was on a two-day visit to Orissa to see firsthand some of the work being done under World Bank-supported projects in the state.The nine-member delegation visited the districts of Khurda and Ganjam to see disaster mitigation and post-disaster recovery work under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project Phase –I and the Orissa Disaster Recovery Project.
In Bhubaneswar, the team reviewed the implementation of the Energy Efficient Street Lighting Project supported by the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank.
Chief Secretary AP Padhi said the state government has sought World Bank support in the field ofeducation as well as skill development in handloom and handicraft sector for more employment generation.
