Bhubaneswar: In a major administrative reform, the Odisha government has decided to replace the existing State Planning Board with a new body -- State Institute for Transformative Initiatives (SITI Odisha). This new institution will function as a strategic think tank and advisory body for the state.

Chief Minister Mohan Majhi will serve as the Chairperson of the Governing Council of SITI Odisha.

Framework of the body

According to the proposed structure, SITI Odisha will act as a high-level policy advisory body, providing strategic inputs to the state government across key sectors. The institution will have a Governing Council led by the Chief Minister, along with a Vice-Chairperson, four full-time members, nine ex-officio members, and two special invitees.

The Vice-Chairperson, who will hold the rank of a Cabinet Minister, will be appointed by the Chief Minister. Additionally, four eminent experts with domain knowledge in priority sectors will be appointed as full-time members, holding the rank of Ministers of State.

The Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary will function as the Member Secretary of the body. 

A Chief Executive Officer (CEO), not below the rank of Principal Secretary or Commissioner-cum-Secretary in the IAS cadre, will be appointed by the Chief Minister for a fixed tenure.

As part of its institutional framework, SITI Odisha will have an attached office named the State Monitoring and Evaluation Office (SMEO), which will serve as the nodal agency for evidence-based governance in the state.

SITI Odisha is expected to guide the government across six thematic areas, including economy and finance, rural economy and livelihoods, employment and urban development, knowledge and innovation, energy transition, and environment, forests, mining, and natural resources.

Official sources said the move will strengthen data-driven decision-making and enhance the effectiveness of governance in Odisha by aligning policy formulation with strategic and evidence-based insights.