Bhubaneswar: The Government of Odisha has intensified its focus on urban transformation through the Mukhyamantri Sahari Bikas Yojana (MSBY), with Housing and Urban Development Minister Dr. Krushna Chandra Mohapatra leading a comprehensive performance audit of the scheme. During a high-level review at Kharavela Bhavan, it was revealed that the program has reached a critical implementation phase, with 6,700 projects approved against a substantial annual budgetary allocation of 1,200 crore rupees.
Current data indicates that 796 crore rupees have already been sanctioned to various Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to facilitate these grassroots developments. The administrative machinery has been placed on high alert, with the Minister issuing a directive that mandates zero tolerance for project delays. This underscores a strategic shift toward performance-based governance, where the timely completion of MSBY initiatives is viewed as the primary metric for urban administrative success.
The MSBY framework is being utilized not just for infrastructure expansion but as a tool for standardizing the urban landscape. Dr. Mohapatra emphasized that because the provincial government has cleared every project proposal submitted by local bodies and backed them with full financial support, the responsibility for execution now rests entirely with the ULBs. There is a specific requirement for adherence to standard designs to ensure uniformity and high construction quality across the state’s diverse urban centers.
Principal Secretary Smt. Usha Padhee further detailed the operational expectations, noting that advance planning is essential for the full utilization of sanctioned funds within the current financial year. The department’s strategy focuses on moving projects rapidly from the approval stage to on-ground execution to ensure that the fiscal cycle aligns with visible urban progress.
With the participation of the Director of Municipal Administration, Shri Arindam Dakua, and officials from all ULBs via video conferencing, the meeting served as a formal reiteration of the state’s commitment to quality-driven urban development. The MSBY remains the flagship vehicle for delivering tangible benefits to citizens, and its success is now tied to a rigorous timeline and a mandate for coordinated teamwork at every level of the municipal hierarchy.