On Monday, the Odisha government laid the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art 450-seat auditorium at the State Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (SIRD&PR) in Bhubaneswar, with an estimated cost of Rs 32 crore. This project aims to enhance the grassroots governance and capacity-building framework for Panchayati Raj institutions and rural development initiatives.
Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water, Rabi Narayan Naik, officiated the ceremony alongside senior departmental officials. During his address, the minister emphasized that the new auditorium would be a significant venue for training elected representatives, government officials, and stakeholders involved in rural governance.
“Villages are the backbone of Odisha and the state’s development depends on the progress of rural areas. The proposed auditorium will act as a centre for democratic decentralisation, knowledge exchange, and institutional capacity building,”
he stated. Officials noted that the auditorium will host workshops, seminars, and conferences on various topics, including Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (LSDGs), Panchayat Progress Index (PGI), good governance, digital governance, women’s leadership, social inclusion, water and sanitation, livelihood generation programmes, and Finance Commission grants.
The facility will feature modern audio-visual systems, areas for documentary screenings, exhibitions, and thematic programmes, aimed at enhancing the training ecosystem of SIRD&PR. The auditorium is expected to foster interaction among grassroots elected representatives, administrative officers, community institutions, and development experts, thereby strengthening governance delivery at the village level.
The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to empowering Gram Panchayats and establishing self-reliant rural institutions as part of a broader vision for rural transformation in Odisha. Among those present at the event were Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Girish S. N., Director of DW&S Vineet Bhardwaj, Director of Special Projects Siddharth Shankar Swain, Additional Secretary Madhusmita Samal, Director of PR Indramani Nayak, and other officials.
