Bhubaneswar: The Housing & Urban Development Department, led by Principal Secretary Smt. Usha Padhee, held a pivotal meeting focused on revitalizing the Right to Public Service (RTPS) Act.
This gathering underscored a profound shift in the Department’s approach to urban governance, moving beyond mere service delivery to a fundamental redefinition of the relationship between the government and its citizens.
During the meeting, held at Kharavela Bhawan, Smt. Padhee articulated her vision with clarity and conviction. “The Right to Public Service Act is not just an instrument of service delivery,” she stated. “It is a commitment to redefine governance itself.” She emphasized that the Act’s true power lies in its ability to embed accountability, efficiency, and transparency into the very fabric of public administration. Her goal is to create cities where the rights of citizens are inherently understood and upheld as the core responsibility of service providers.
The discussion was further enriched by a special presentation from Shri Jagadananda, Co-founder of the Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD). Drawing an insightful parallel with the Right to Information Act, he highlighted how the RTPS Act could serve as a powerful catalyst for change in urban governance.
Shri Jagadananda’s recommendations—focused on capacity building, system re-engineering, effective record-keeping, and citizen-oriented reforms—provided a practical roadmap for actualizing Smt. Padhee’s vision.
The meeting saw the active participation of key senior officials, including Dr. N. Thirumala Nayak (Vice-Chairman, BDA), Shri Arindam Dakua (Director of Municipal Administration), Shri Chanchal Rana (Commissioner, BMC), and Shri Rabindra Kumar Sahoo and Shri S. Routray (Additional Secretaries), among others.
Their collective presence reaffirmed the Department’s unanimous commitment to building a governance framework that is timely, transparent, and, most importantly, puts the citizens of urban Odisha first. The deliberation concluded with a shared resolve to transform Smt. Padhee’s vision into a tangible reality, ensuring a future where every urban citizen receives services that are not just delivered, but delivered with dignity and accountability.