Bhubaneswar: The Housing & Urban Development Department organized an interactive orientation session for six IAS probationers of the 2025 batch of the Odisha cadre, offering them an in-depth exposure to Odisha’s evolving urban governance framework and citizen-centric initiatives.
The session was led by Director, Municipal Administration, Arindam Dakua, along with senior officers and vertical heads of the department, who presented the key activities, flagship programmes, and institutional mechanisms of the H&UD Department.
During the interaction, Team Urban briefed the probationers on major urban initiatives in areas such as affordable housing, water supply, sanitation, waste management, urban infrastructure, and technology-enabled governance systems. The officers explained how policy interventions are translated into effective public services through coordinated field-level implementation.
The programme emphasized the importance of empathetic, responsive, and beneficiary-centric governance in managing the challenges of rapid urbanization. The probationers were encouraged to stay connected with grassroots realities while leveraging innovation, data-driven planning, and inter-departmental coordination for improved urban service delivery.
Following the interaction session, the probationers were taken on exposure visits to an AAHAR Kendra, the BSABT facility, where they witnessed first-hand the operational aspects of key urban service delivery systems and technology-driven governance initiatives being implemented in the state.
The visit provided the young officers with practical insights into Odisha’s integrated urban management approach and reinforced the importance of efficient, inclusive, and sustainable urban administration.