Bhubaneswar, Aug 19: Odisha is stepping up its urban development drive with a series of road, housing, flood-management and sanitation initiatives aimed at improving connectivity and living conditions across major cities.
Pic Credit: Pexel
The progress of these projects was reviewed at the 14th dashboard review meeting of the Housing and Urban Development Department, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee on Tuesday. The meeting also reviewed implementation of the department’s Rs 10,726.87-crore budget for the current financial year.
A major focus is on strengthening Bhubaneswar’s road network. Detailed Project Reports are being prepared for six priority Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) road corridors in and around the city. These include the Sainik School Square–VSS Nagar stretch, the New Bhubaneswar Railway Station connectivity corridor and the Pokhariput–Ananta Vihar link.
The proposed Bhubaneswar ring road is also being pursued to improve connectivity between key urban areas and ease traffic pressure on existing routes. Officials have been instructed to coordinate closely and adhere to project timelines.
Affordable housing is another important component of the urban development programme. Projects in Cuttack, Berhampur and Rourkela are being taken forward to expand access to housing for economically weaker sections and other eligible urban residents.
The department is also working to improve the delivery of government welfare schemes to vulnerable urban households. Under the SAHAJOG initiative, efforts are underway to achieve wider coverage of welfare benefits among around 4.2 lakh economically weaker section households.
Flood management, sanitation and waste management have also been given priority as Odisha works to make its cities more resilient. The department is strengthening efforts to address urban waterlogging and improve cleanliness and waste-management systems.
Under Swachha Odisha, expenditure has reached about 62.5 per cent of the annual allocation, indicating steady progress in the implementation of sanitation and cleanliness initiatives.
Officials were directed to accelerate ongoing works, strengthen coordination among government agencies and ensure that key projects are completed within the stipulated timelines.
The infrastructure push is expected to improve urban mobility, expand housing opportunities and strengthen essential public services, while supporting the planned growth of Odisha’s major cities.