The Third High Power Committee (HPC) Meeting on the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) was held in Bhubaneswar on March 12, 2026, under the chairmanship of Deoranjan Kumar Singh, IAS, Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Odisha.
The meeting, convened at Lok Seva Bhawan, reviewed the progress of ongoing RIDF projects implemented by various state departments and emphasised accelerating execution to maximise benefits from this low-cost funding window provided by NABARD.
Senior officials in attendance included Principal Secretary, Finance Department, Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra; Principal Secretary, Works Department, Sanjay Kumar Singh; Principal Secretary, Department of Water Resources, Subha Sarma; Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment (AG & FE) Department, Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav; Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Rural Development Department, Yamini Sarangi; Commissioner-cum-Secretary, MSME Department, Rashmita Panda, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Fisheries & Animal Resources Development (F&ARD) Department, Shri Prem Chandra Chaudhary; and Vinod Arya, Chief General Manager (CGM), NABARD, along with other senior state government officers.
During the deliberations, the committee highlighted Odisha’s consistently excellent performance in RIDF project implementation and management. Impressed by the state’s track record, the HPC urged NABARD to sanction additional projects under RIDF for the financial year 2025-26 to further strengthen rural infrastructure in areas such as roads, bridges, irrigation, and allied sectors.
Implementing departments were directed to expedite the execution of ongoing projects and submit reimbursement claims within the stipulated timelines to ensure smooth fund flow and avoid delays. The meeting also encouraged departments to proactively prepare and submit new project proposals for funding under other concessional schemes from NABARD, including the Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) for the Agriculture & FE Department, the Fisheries & Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) for the F&ARD Department, and the Food Processing Fund (FPF) for the MSME, Agriculture & FE, and F&ARD Departments.
This strategic push aligns with Odisha’s broader focus on rural development, efficient utilisation of central funds, and enhancing agricultural, irrigation, fisheries, and food processing infrastructure to support sustainable growth and farmer welfare.
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