Odisha’s Works, Law and Excise Minister Shri Prithviraj Harichandan on Thursday led a ground-level review of landslide-affected areas in Gajapati district, reaffirming the government’s commitment to swift restoration of connectivity and public safety following the heavy rains caused by Cyclone Montha.
The minister personally inspected the affected sites at Badgaon in Anastha panchayat under R. Udayagiri block, where a massive boulder and debris had blocked the road, disrupting movement between hill villages.
Accompanied by Gajapati Collector Smt. Madhumita, Sub-Collector Shri Anup Panda, Mohana MLA Shri Dasharathi Gamang, BDO Shri Loriman Kharshel, Tahasildar Shri Jyotirmaya Dash, and SP Shri Jyotindra Panda, the minister directed officials to mobilize machinery and workforce from the Works Department to clear the routes at the earliest.
“Our foremost priority is to restore road access and ensure the safety of every commuter. The Works Department has been instructed to act with urgency while planning long-term slope stabilization to prevent future incidents,” Shri Harichandan said.
He added that controlled blasting will be carried out to remove the larger boulders safely and assured that additional support will be provided from the Odisha Works Department’s emergency maintenance fund.
Resilient Infrastructure for a Safer Odisha
During his visit, the Minister emphasized the need for engineering-based preventive planning in landslide-prone regions and highlighted that a joint technical team comprising the Works, Forest, and Revenue departments will be formed to prepare a detailed resilience strategy.
“We are focused not only on repair but on creating a stronger, climate-resilient infrastructure in the state’s southern hill belts,” he added.
Earlier, Shri Harichandan convened a review meeting at the Mohana Sub-Collector’s office to coordinate immediate restoration works and relief efforts. He instructed that all blocked village routes be reopened within 48 hours and ordered daily progress monitoring by the Works Department engineers.
Coordinated Governance Under CM Majhi
Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi, who is personally monitoring the cyclone’s after-effects, has commended the Works Department’s prompt action under Minister Harichandan’s leadership.
The government’s unified response — integrating the Works, Revenue, and Disaster Management departments — reflects a new era of decentralized disaster governance and citizen-first administration in Odisha.