Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday reviewed key urban development and mobility initiatives, with Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra directing officials to expedite ongoing projects, strengthen urban planning and ensure timely utilisation of allocated funds.
A high-level review meeting, chaired by Mahapatra at Kharabela Bhawan here, assessed the progress of various programmes and projects of the Housing and Urban Development Department, with particular focus on urban mobility, affordable housing, road and drainage infrastructure and planned urban expansion.
Additional Chief Secretary, H&UD Department, Usha Padhee, DMA Arindam Dakua, senior officials of the department, CRUT and other concerned officials attended the meeting.
Mahapatra directed officials to identify and address bottlenecks in project implementation and ensure that funds are utilised within stipulated timelines. He stressed coordinated action, close monitoring and outcome-oriented execution to ensure that urban development initiatives deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, the minister said the government was working to expand affordable housing opportunities for different income groups. He said discussions were held on developing new housing models for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Low Income Groups (LIG) and Middle Income Groups (MIG), besides exploring rental housing solutions to cater to the changing requirements of urban residents.
Referring to his recent visit to Maharashtra to study precast construction technology and the “Mission 100” model aimed at constructing 100 houses in 100 days, Mahapatra said a technical team would be deputed to assess the feasibility of adopting such technology in Odisha.
The proposed initiative is aimed at exploring faster construction of quality and affordable houses while adhering to prescribed technical and construction standards, he said.
The minister also said the government was focusing on expanding Town Planning Schemes to cover larger urban areas in a systematic manner. Strengthening urban planning mechanisms and ensuring orderly expansion of growing towns would remain a priority, he added.
On urban mobility, Mahapatra stressed the need to expand the “Odisha Yatri” initiative to more cities across the state. The move is aimed at providing commuters with convenient and reliable mobility options while creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for drivers associated with the platform.
The meeting also reviewed monsoon-related damage to urban roads and drainage infrastructure. Mahapatra directed officials to fast-track repair and restoration of roads damaged by heavy rainfall and complete essential works within the stipulated timelines.
He further called for expediting the preparation and implementation of Storm Water Drainage Master Plans across Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to improve urban resilience and reduce waterlogging during periods of heavy rainfall.
The minister also emphasised strengthening Development Authorities across districts and directed officials to enhance their institutional capacity to undertake effective town planning, planned urban expansion and coordinated development.
Mahapatra asked officials to maintain close coordination and strengthen field-level monitoring to ensure timely completion of projects. He said the government’s urban development efforts should remain focused on building well-planned, resilient and citizen-centric cities while delivering visible improvements in the quality of urban life.
