Malkangiri, Oct 7 [UDN}:Malkangiri District Collector Prathamesh Arvind Rajeshirke led an important review visit aimed at promoting comprehensive development in the fields of tourism, agriculture and tribal empowerment across the district.
As part of the visit, the Collector, accompanied by officials of the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC), faculty members from Utkal University and a team of architectural experts from Bhubaneswar, visited the renowned tourist destination Sitakund in Khairput Block. The team assessed the site for its comprehensive redevelopment while maintaining its historical, cultural and natural character.
During the inspection, Collector Rajeshirke held detailed discussions on several aspects of the proposed redevelopment, including physical infrastructure, beautification, tourist amenities and environmentally sustainable development. The objective is to improve facilities for visitors while preserving the ecological and cultural significance of Sitakund.
Following the tourism-focused inspection, the administrative team led by the Collector visited Poplur village in Chitrakonda Block and interacted with tribal beneficiaries from the Poplur, Kurmanur and Kapatuti Gram Panchayats during a special meeting.
The meeting discussed measures for strengthening livelihood opportunities and access to government services for tribal communities. Key issues included wage payments to tribal beneficiaries under the VB-G RAM-G scheme, construction of mandis and drying yards, issuance of job cards, and Aadhaar updating through camp-mode services.
Special attention was also given to improving the income of local Japhra farmers. To reduce their dependence solely on mandis or traders from outside the state, the administration facilitated a partnership with a representative of an agricultural organisation. Under the proposed arrangement, Japhra will be processed into value-added products such as powder and crystals, creating opportunities for direct market linkages and potentially enabling farmers to receive greater returns from their produce.
The review visit highlighted the district administration’s efforts to combine tourism infrastructure development, agricultural value addition and tribal welfare to create sustainable livelihood opportunities while preserving Malkangiri’s natural and cultural resources.
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