Bhubaneswar, Aug. 27: The state government is set to launch two portals - PlanPlus and ActionSoft - which will enable citizens to upload suggestions on the planning of road, water supply and other projects.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik will launch the two portals on August 29 during the annual award distribution ceremony for the urban local bodies. While PlanPlus will take suggestions from the citizens, ActionSoft will act as a monitoring portal for the projects that receive suggestions.

The portals have been designed to cater to the needs of both the urban and rural population of the state.

However, an official of the panchayati raj department, which is in charge of both the portals, said the main objective of the portals was to get the rural population involved in the development process. "The focus of the new initiative is to involve the rural population in the planning process. The urban people are already contributing to the process. This new initiative will give the a voice to the rural population," said the official.

There will be an "add suggestion" button on the homepage of the PlanPlus portal, where individual citizens, self-help-groups and non-governmental-organisations may submit their suggestions on the ongoing or upcoming infrastructure projects. They can also tell the respective urban local bodies on the requirement of their area.

The administration will than take the suggestions into consideration and carry out ground checks with experts for the viability of the suggestions and demands made by the citizens. After the scrutiny, the administration will go ahead with the planning process.

"It is a good move by the state government," said Rasulgarh resident Tutu Baliarsing.

Damana resident Omkar Pasayat, a shopkeeper by profession, said the administration had to ensure that the citizens' suggestions were seriously taken. "The ActionSoft portal, which is meant to monitor implementation of our suggestions, needs to function properly," said Pasayat.