SPECIAL MENTION AWARDS

The seven districts that are making a difference despite all obstacles

Mayurbhanj

This northern district of Odisha, with 58 per cent tribal population, has set an example by creating sustainable livelihoods through the convergence of MNREGA with the horticulture department.

Malkangiri

Situated at the southernmost tip of Odisha, Malkangiri made significant progress in rural electrification and rural connectivity.

Kalahandi

Synonymous with hunger at one time, Kalahandi today is known as the ‘rice bowl’ of Odisha, with paddy production increasing from 10 lakh million tonnes to 100 lakh million tonnes annually.

Kandhamal

Kandhamal being a tribal district, 57,818 individual titles have been distributed under the Forest Rights Act. Another 2,035 titles have been distributed under the Community Forest Rights Act.

Deogarh

With the construction of 67,061 toilets in 698 villages, Deogarh was the first to become an open defecation-free district on August 2, 2017. In 2014, only 11 per cent of the 71,000 households had access to toilets.

Gajapati

A total of 354 villages in the five scheduled blocks have implemented the Odisha Tribal Empowerment & Livelihoods Programme (OTELP) and OTELP PLUS, bringing visible improvement in tribal lives.

Kendujhar

A mineral rich district, Kendujhar has bagged the second prize in implementation of Mamata, a scheme that provides conditional cash transfers to pregnant and lactating mothers.