BHUBANESWAR: VIKSIT Odisha goal should encompass holistic development and be focused on future, felt editors and senior journalists of the state here on Wednesday.
Participating in the Editors’ Roundtable on ‘Shaping the narrative of Samruddha Odisha@2036’ chaired by principal secretary of Information & Public Relations department Sanjay Singh, they said Odisha needs to analyse its mistakes made in the past for becoming a developed state by 2036, marking the 100th year of its formation.
President of Odisha Union of Journalists Prasanna Mohanty said with Centre solidly behind the state’s development, it is time people moved beyond their political affiliations and contributed towards it. He called for creation of an Odisha model of development.
Senior journalist Rajaram Satpathy commended the roundtable and said the government must not see media as an enemy, rather make it part of the development dialogue.
News editor of OTV Radhamadhaba Mishra suggested that instead of focusing on metal industry and IT, the state can look into new emerging sectors for development and employment.
Publisher of The Samaj Pravash Acharya added that the state’s focus should be on improving the downstream rural industries.
Group News Editor, The Sambad and Kanak TV, Bhabani Sankar Tripathy, felt a state can only be considered developed when it scores high on parameters like agriculture, nutrition, children’s health and water.
Editor of Argus TV Sanjay Jena said Odisha should analyse statistics to understand where it stands today and aim at what all development initiatives it needs.
Resident editor of The New Indian Express Siba Mohanty felt Odisha’s development story has remained static for a long period of time and must change now. “Thirty-four per cent of the state’s population is young which is why our objective should be future-focused,” Mohanty said.
Resident editor of The Asian Age Akshay Sahoo said Odisha has already devised a development model and the narrative to be developed now should be that the state is a perfect destination for investments. Director of I&PR Saroj Kumar Samal also spoke on the occasion.