Odisha govt committed to clean, beautiful cities: Minister
Bhubaneswar, Aug 23 (IANS) Odisha Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Department Minister, Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, said on Sunday that the state government is committed to keeping cities clean and beautiful while ensuring the safety, housing and welfare of sanitation workers and their families.
The Minister was speaking during the Odisha Urban Conclave-2026 held at Lok Seva Bhawan here.
The conclave was organised by the Odisha Housing and Urban Development department with the objective of giving greater momentum to good governance, planned development and improved civic services in urban areas of the state.
Sharing his thoughts during the conclave, the Minister said, “Steps are being taken in consultation with experts to improve drainage systems and promote the reuse of water to address waterlogging problems in urban areas. The construction of houses for the poor and landless under the Mukhyamantri Sahari Bikash Yojana and PMAY 2.0 is being expedited. Efforts are also being made to accelerate Town Planning Schemes and provide 24/7 supply of safe drinking water.”
During the session, Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee made a departmental presentation on infrastructure development, planning for prosperous cities and performance.
According to an official statement, the session also focused on budgets and financial management.
The senior officers of the department also deliberated on increasing the revenue of municipal bodies, expenditure analysis, roles and responsibilities, and reviewing the performance of poorly performing urban local bodies.
The department also added that discussions were also held on the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Town Planning Schemes for Tier-II and Tier-III cities, Samruddha Sahar, the Urban Challenge Fund, and infrastructure development under the Mukhyamantri Sahari Bikash Yojana.
The officials during the urban infrastructure development session discussed the Mukhyamantri Sahari Bikash Yojana, pedestrian-friendly roads, expansion of Ama Bus services under CRUT, and restoration of water bodies and development of surrounding areas under AMRUT 2.0.
Technical discussions were also held on flood control in cities, preparation of project cost estimates and Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).
Welfare programmes such as PM SVANidhi, shelters for the urban homeless, Sahayata and Sahyog, and Aahaar were also reviewed.
The department also added that the conclave emphasised sanitation and used-water management, fostering collaboration by having urban local bodies present their best practices.
To ensure state-wide progress, underperforming local bodies were actively engaged in direct discussions to troubleshoot their specific challenges and develop solutions.
It claimed that overall, the event established a comprehensive vision for planned urbanisation and efficient administration, aiming to transform Odisha’s cities into cleaner, healthier, and more citizen-friendly spaces through improved infrastructure, housing, and public transport.
–IANS
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