Bhubaneswar: Under the able guidance of Shrimati Usha Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Odisha State Housing Board is preparing for a major statewide expansion. Chairing a high-level review meeting at Kharavel Bhawan, Shrimati Padhee directed the board to scale up its operations and expand its footprint beyond its traditional bases into all district headquarters across Odisha.
Emphasizing inclusivity, Shrimati Padhee instructed the board to design a concrete, time-bound action plan that prioritizes social housing. She noted that addressing the growing housing requirements of economically weaker sections and lower-income urban families must become a core focus area for the board. To ensure this long-term vision succeeds, she is steering efforts to secure the alienation of suitable government land from various district administrations for future affordable housing projects.
Sri Gangadhar Nayak, Special Secretary, Housing & Urban Development, and Managing Director, OSHB, informed that the Board has so far developed 32,343 housing units, shops and plots across 21 districts, catering to various income groups including EWS, LIG, MIG and HIG categories. More than 20,000 units have been developed in Khordha district alone.
During the comprehensive review, ACS Smt.Padhee evaluated the board’s ongoing portfolio, which currently features five major residential projects with a cumulative investment exceeding 517 crore rupees. These include the flagship Kharavela Enclave at Jagamara, which has reached its handover stage, alongside steady progress at the Anugul Enclave, the Subhadra Enclave at Dumduma, the Vasudev Vihar plotted development at Andharua, and the upcoming Gadakana project.
Looking ahead to the financial year 2026-27, Smt.Padhee reviewed a pipeline of four major proposed projects designed to add nearly 6,877 dwelling units to the state’s housing stock. This expansion strategy includes large-scale developments such as the Suango public-private partnership project near AIIMS Bhubaneswar, an engineering, procurement, and construction housing project at Ranasinghpur, an e-bidding project at Patrapada, and a joint venture apartment project at Basanti Colony in Rourkela.
To support this aggressive growth, ACS Smt.Padhee also addressed critical operational and financial bottlenecks. She issued specific administrative directions to expedite external infrastructure support, resolve road connectivity issues, accelerate statutory clearances, and manage freehold conversions and encroachment removals. Under her oversight, the board has solidified its financial health, transforming into a completely debt-free organization that recorded a surplus of 18.40 crore rupees in financial year 2024-25 and a provisional surplus of 25.50 crore rupees in financial year 2025-26.
ACS Smt.Padhee closed the review by demanding strict adherence to Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority norms, transparent allotment mechanisms, and swift execution across all operational stages. Her directives underscore a clear commitment to transforming the board into a highly efficient vehicle capable of delivering quality, sustainable, and affordable housing to urban residents across the entire state.