Bhubaneswar: The Housing & Urban Development Department convened a meeting on Saturday on the Right to Public Service (RTPS) Act with a focus on strengthening urban governance and citizen-centric service delivery. The meeting was organised by Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary of the Housing & Urban Development Department.
Sharing her vision for the Department, Usha Padhee said, “The Right to Public Service Act is not just an instrument of service delivery, it is a commitment to redefine governance itself. By embedding accountability, efficiency, and transparency at every level, we aim to create cities where citizens’ rights become the responsibility of the service providers.”
Delivering a special presentation, Jagadananda, Co-founder and Mentor of the Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD), highlighted the transformative potential of the RTPS Act. Drawing parallels with the Right to Information Act, he noted that RTPS could serve as a catalyst in urban governance. He emphasised the need for capacity building, system re-engineering, effective record-keeping, and citizen-oriented reforms to take this forward.
Senior officials including Dr. N. Thirumala Nayak, Vice-Chairman, BDA; Shri Arindam Dakua, Director of Municipal Administration; Shri Chanchal Rana, Commissioner, BMC; Shri Rabindra Kumar Sahoo, Additional Secretary; and S. Routray, Additional Secretary, along with other officers of the department, participated in the deliberations held at the 3rd Floor Conference Hall of Kharavela Bhawan.
The meeting reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to building a governance framework that puts citizens first and ensures timely, transparent, and accountable public services across urban Odisha.
