Housing & Urban Development Minister Emphasizes on Teamwork to Provide Better Services to Urban People

Bhubaneswar: State Housing and Urban Development Minister Dr Krushna Chandra Mohapatra has asked officials to do ‘Teamwork’ to provide quality services to the people of urban areas.

Dr. Mohapatra was speaking as the chief guest at a day-long training programme of municipal officials on the priorities of Urban Governance at the Convention Hall of Lok Seba Bhawan here today.

The Minister stressed on the need to keep the roads clean as per the approach of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan besides planting trees on a large scale in the municipal areas. He also asked for steps to be taken in this regard as waste coming out of urban areas, especially hospitals, is polluting water sources.

Dr. Mohapatra advised the department officials not to sit in the office and go on field visits and asked them to visit the ward for at least three to four hours a day. The minister laid utmost emphasis on the urban traffic system. He asked officials to chalk out a plan so that people can reach their destinations in a short span of time. He also suggested that more and more CCTVs should be installed in urban areas for law and order.

The Minister stressed on the need for the construction agencies and contractors concerned to maintain various developmental works in urban areas. They will maintain for at least three years. The minister warned that criminal cases would be registered against them if anyone defaulted on it. The Minister said that the metro rail scheme launched in Bhubaneswar will be implemented and in view of the expansion of urban areas, the minister stressed on the formation of ‘Triple City’ by connecting Cuttack-Bhubaneswar-Puri in the coming days.

Additional Chief Secretary of H&UD Department G Mathi Vathanan, delivered the welcome address and highlighted the important programmes related to urban development in the state. He said that ‘Team Urban’ is ready for the programmes that will be set for urban development for the new government. Urban areas will be provided with better habitat, clean drinking water, waste-free.

In 2019, Odisha was ranked 30th in the Swachh Bharat Survey and in 2023 it was ranked among the four leading states in the country. The target is to be number one at the national level in 2024. In this regard, not only Bhubaneswar, but all the 115 municipal areas of the state have been given importance. No new waste will be allowed to be deposited in any city. Efforts will be made to make every city waste-free. It has been asked to be alert to accidents in drains during the rainy season. Instructions have been given to turn the fence in places where the slabs cannot be dropped. Guidelines in this regard have been sent to every municipal body by the department. He warned that if an accident takes place at any place, the engineers in charge of the place will be held responsible.

BMC Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, Director Municipal Sangramjit Nayak, SUDA Director and Additional Secretary Sarada Prasad Panda, Special Secretary Sagarika Patnaik, Debashish Singh, Sourendra Routray, Sushanta Kumar Mishra, Smt Shikha Biswal, Subhendu Kanun Go and Sanjay Parmanik were among those who attended workshop. Additional Secretary Sri Panda gave detailed information about Mukta, NULM, Street Lights, PMSVANidhi and Aahar Yojana and Deen Dayal National Livelihood Mission implemented in the state since 2013, while others highlighted their related activities.