Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Housing & Urban Development (H&UD) Department on Friday launched a two-day capacity-building programme for technical officials from Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to strengthen the planning, execution and monitoring of urban infrastructure projects under the Mukhyamantri Sahari Bikash Yojana (MSBY).
Around 60 City Engineers, Town Planners and Consultants representing 25 ULBs are participating in the first phase of the programme being held at the Odisha Urban Academy. The initiative is aimed at enhancing technical capabilities, encouraging knowledge sharing and improving the overall implementation of urban development projects across the state.
The training includes technical sessions on project planning, engineering best practices, quality assurance, contract management, project monitoring and timely execution of infrastructure works. The programme seeks to equip technical officials with practical skills for efficient project implementation while promoting the exchange of best practices among ULBs.
On the inaugural day, Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing & Urban Development Department, Usha Padhee, chaired a comprehensive review meeting on the progress of projects being implemented under MSBY. Officials from the participating ULBs presented updates on the physical and financial progress of ongoing works, outlining achievements, implementation challenges and expected completion timelines.
Reviewing the progress, Padhee directed the ULBs to address implementation bottlenecks, strengthen project monitoring, improve inter-departmental coordination and strictly adhere to quality standards. She stressed that field-level issues should be resolved within defined timelines to ensure the timely completion of projects.
Addressing the participants, Padhee underscored the critical role of City Engineers, Town Planners and Consultants in creating sustainable, resilient and citizen-centric urban infrastructure. She called for meticulous planning, regular field inspections, efficient utilisation of resources and adoption of innovative engineering practices to deliver durable and high-quality public assets. She also urged officials to closely monitor project milestones and maintain high execution standards under the MSBY.
Director of Municipal Administration Arindam Dakua and Additional Secretary of the Housing & Urban Development Department Rabindra Kumar Sahu also interacted with the participants, highlighting the importance of timely execution, quality assurance and effective project management.
The department said the second phase of the programme will be conducted on Saturday, with technical officials from another 25 Urban Local Bodies scheduled to participate.
