The World Bank has pledged support to the Odisha government for strengthening its early forecasting systems to enhance natural disaster response and extend social protection coverage for impoverished and vulnerable households through digital platforms, according to an official statement released on Thursday.
A meeting convened between the Odisha government and a World Bank delegation, chaired by Development Commissioner Anu Garg, focused on the Externally Aided Project (EAP) known as the Odisha State Capability and Resilient Growth Programme (OSCRGP).
In July, the Central government signed an agreement with the World Bank for this program, with an estimated cost of Rs 1,183 crore, of which the state government is contributing Rs 367 crore.
The Odisha State Cabinet had approved the project in December of the previous year, and the World Bank declared OSCRGP effective as of August 11, 2023.
The primary objective of this initiative, as highlighted by Garg, is to shield disadvantaged households from economic and climate-related shocks in Odisha by effectively managing disaster risks and harnessing digital data for resilience, service delivery, and planning.
The EAP will bolster government initiatives in various areas, including the expansion of an adaptive social protection system, disaster risk management planning and programs led by the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), the Electronics & IT department, and the enhancement of data quality through the Directorate of Economics and Statistics.
Key components of the project encompass the development and implementation of a social protection delivery platform, the formulation of state data policy guidelines, and future roll-out documentation, along with the strengthening of resilience through the deployment of early warning dissemination technology systems and the extension of citizen outreach efforts.
Prasanta Patnaik 
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