Harabhanga/Boudh, Odisha: The Harabhanga Panchayat Samiti recently conducted its 10th general closed-door meeting at the Samiti hall under the leadership of Vice President Kanhu Charan Nath. The Harabhanga Panchayat Samiti meeting was supposed to improve transparency, however, the Block Development Officer (BDO) failed to inform journalists. This excluded the media entirely. This move immediately raised questions about transparency and public access to information.
Sushant Kumar Pradhan, representative of the Boudh MLA; Ravi Narayan Pradhan, representative of the Kandhamal MP; District Council Chairperson Prabhasini Das; Zone 7 Member Biswajit Mishra; and Zone 8 Member Taramani Pradhan all attended the Harabhanga Panchayat Samiti meeting. Together, they discussed several developmental projects with block-level departmental officers. The aim was to review ongoing works and pending issues.
At the beginning of the meeting, Group Development Officer Vijay Kumar Pradhan warmly welcomed all the guests. Subsequently, participants engaged in detailed discussions. These covered key departments such as Education, Health, Agriculture, Horticulture, Rural Development, Gram Panchayat Development, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation, Integrated Child Development, Housing, Transportation, Fisheries, Supplies, MNREGA, Forest, Wildlife, Soil Conservation, Uplift Irrigation, Social Security, and Empowerment of People Who Have a Disability. The details of these discussions were part of the Harabhanga Panchayat Samiti meeting agenda.
Nevertheless, officers from Minor Irrigation, Animal Husbandry, Kendu Leaf, Construction, and National Highways departments remained absent, which disappointed many attendees. Moreover, several participants felt that the absence of the Block Chairperson during such an important session reflected poorly on leadership.
During the review, officials revealed serious staff shortages, including 97 missing teachers and 8 unfilled supply assistant posts. In addition, Old Cuttack Group Hospital employed only one specialist instead of four, while its X-ray machine remained non-functional. This worsened the situation further.
Furthermore, employees under the Laxmi Bus project reported six months of unpaid salaries, highlighting administrative negligence. As a result, members proposed new initiatives at the Harabhanga Panchayat Samiti meeting. These included building a guest house within the block office premises and hiring sweepers, night watchmen, and technicians. They also emphasized the urgent need for functioning streetlights in public areas.
At Karanjakata High School, Sarpanchs complained that computers were lying unused due to the lack of a computer teacher. Additionally, students were forced to sit on the floor because of classroom shortages.
Ultimately, all Sarpanchs, Samiti members, and departmental officers actively participated in the discussion. Finally, GPDO Jatin Mishra concluded the meeting with a vote of thanks. This marked the end of a Harabhanga Panchayat Samiti meeting session that highlighted pressing gaps in governance and accountability.
