Patnaik doubles WODC allocation in 2021-22

He is the first non-politicalincumbent of the body.Patnaik has also ordered for opening up WODC officesin all the 10 districts and at Athamalik in Angul district forthe convenience of the people of Western Odisha.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has doubled the budget allocation for Western OdishaDevelopment Council (WODC) to Rs 200 crore, official sources said on Tuesday.

Patnaik took the decision to increase allocation towards while reviewing its functioning here on Monday, the sources said.

The allocation for the council in 2020-21 was Rs 100crore.

This will be enhanced to Rs 200 crore in the firstphase in the financial year 2021-22, the chief minister'soffice said.

WODC was given an initial funding of Rs 3 crore in1999-2000 after it was formed in November 1998. The amount wasincreased subsequently to Rs 100 crore till 2020-21.

Earlier, the state government had appointed formerchief secretary A K Tripathy as the chairman of the WODC,which consists of ten western Odisha districts and a sub-dicision of Angul district. He is the first non-politicalincumbent of the body.

Patnaik has also ordered for opening up WODC officesin all the 10 districts and at Athamalik in Angul district forthe convenience of the people of Western Odisha. Therespective district administrations will support WODC in thisendeavor, the sources said.

WODCs major projects include Biju Express Way, a roadproject which will help boost economic growth of the region,an official said.

The WODC funds are aimed to be utilized to fill thecritical supply chain gaps in promising sectors of economy inthe western districts of the state, he said.

Apart from agriculture and irrigation projects, theWODC also focuses on upgradation of the handloom cluster inBargarh, Sonepur and Boudh districts, Tripathy said after thereview meeting.