Make Vikashit Odisha a reality through strategic planning: H&UD Minister Mahapatra

Bhubaneswar: Housing & Urban Development Minister Dr. Krushna Chandra Mahapatra has emphasised on development of planned cities for a Vikashit Odisha – 2036.
Make it a reality through strategic planning, infrastructural development, and public participation, he said chairing a high-level review meeting here.
The Minister issued instructions to officials to assess the work of the development authorities under the Department.
“The development of planned cities will be a cornerstone of Odisha’s growth strategy, he said and added that by adopting proactive agendas and addressing existing challenges, urbanization will serve as a key driver for a Viksit Odisha 2036”.
The Minister said that the State Government remains committed to its goal of achieving a sustainable, inclusive, and modern urban landscape.
“At present only 17pc of Odisha’s urban areas are planned townships, which we aim to increase to 30pc. New cities will be built, and older cities will be revitalized to simplify urbanization and enable better living standards for all,” he said. The discussions centered on increasing the percentage of planned cities, renovating old cities, and accelerating urban development to align with the vision of Biksit Odisha 2036.
During the meeting, the Minister emphasized the significance of urban development in Odisha’s overall progress. Building on the successful implementation of the TP scheme by the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), efforts will be made to extend this initiative to other cities across the state.
Development authorities were instructed to leverage government-owned land under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models to boost revenue and fast-track urban infrastructure projects.
Addressing the need for professional expertise in urban planning, the state government will prioritize filling all vacant posts to ensure effective implementation of development initiatives. It was decided to lay special focus will be given to older cities where housing construction is constrained by inadequate infrastructure, particularly roads. Renovation of these areas will enable smoother urbanization and allow people to construct houses with ease. Comprehensive sewage and drainage projects in Berhampur, new TP schemes for Greater Sambalpur and Greater Rourkela was also discussed in the meeting.