Expressing displeasure over the delay in setting up of the proposed medical college project by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) at Talcher, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday asked the central public sector undertaking (CPSU) to start work on it as early as possible.
The direction came during a review of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of CPSUs by the Chief Minister at the Secretariat here.
Sources in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said, the Chief Minister expressed concern over the delay in the project.
While the State Government had assured to provide 20 acres of land free of cost for the project, MCL had committed to incur all the expenditure. The project was targeted to be commissioned by 2016-17 academic year. However, there seems to be have been no progress in implementation of the project.
The Chief Minister also asked MCL to solve problems of people displaced by its projects within three months. The instruction from the Chief Minister to MCL came after local people in Talcher Coalfield area frequently staged agitations against the CPSU accusing it of neglecting the displaced persons.
Naveen asked the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) to hold discussion with district collectors on the problems faced by local people.
He also directed the RDC to regularly review CSR activities of MCL in order to win confidence of the agitating people in Talcher area.
Stating that CSR activities are significant for the ongoing industrialisation process in the State, Naveen asked MCL to highlight in its official Website the welfare activities undertaken by it. Naveen also asked the Chief Secretary to review the CRS activities of different CPSUs every fortnight.
Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Minister of State for Energy Pranab Prakash Das, BJD Lok Sabha member from Dhenkanal Tathagat Satpathy, Talcher MLA Braja Kishore Pradhan, Chief Secretary GC Pati, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of MCL AN Sahay and senior officials attended the meeting.
Prasanta Patnaik