Bhubaneswar: Expressing displeasure over a reported poor enforcement of COVID regulations in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday directed the Director General of Police (DGP) Abhay to personally monitor the enforcement activities in the twin city.
Holding a meeting with senior officers on COVID management, Naveen said, “While I get good feedback about enforcement activities throughout the state, the feedback regarding Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissionerate Police area is not encouraging. I have been harping on this. DG must directly look into this and do the needful as being done throughout the state.”
He directed the District Collectors through videoconferencing to expand the livelihood programmes to protect rural people from the economic downturn due to the pandemic. “MGNREGS and all livelihood activities must be scaled up like never before and closely monitored. With the economy slowing down, it is important to pump in funds to rural households,” he instructed.
Officials concerned were asked to extend necessary support for MSME and other industrial activities to reach pre-COVID levels.
The Chief Minister also directed to follow up implementation of intervention announced for the fisheries, animal husbandry, horticulture, soil conservation, Forestry and agriculture sector in the COVID livelihood package.
In addition, he advised to ensure sufficient credit flow to the farmers, Mission Shakti members, MSME and weavers.
“Basically Collectors must ensure scaled-up activities in livelihood sectors coupled with increased fund flow. This is the only way by which we can protect Rural Odisha particularly poor people from the impact of economic slowdown,” Naveen said.
As India’s first quarterly economic growth was 23 per cent negative, the CM stressed the need to protect people of Odisha from its ill effects.
He lauded the work of all corona worriers including doctors and health workers as more than 1.25 lakh have recovered from the disease.