Bhubaneswar: The Housing & Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha, will launch a statewide Urban Outreach Programme on June 24, 2026, to commemorate two years of governance under the Government of Odisha. The initiative aims to deepen citizen engagement, showcase key achievements in urban development, and encourage greater public participation in shaping Odisha’s urban future.
The flagship state-level programme will be held at the Town Hall of Puri Municipal Corporation at 3:30 PM in the presence of Hon’ble Minister for Housing & Urban Development and Public Enterprises, Dr. Krushna Chandra Mahapatra. Simultaneously, similar programmes will be organised across all Urban Local Bodies , including Municipal Corporations, Municipalities and Notified Area Councils , ensuring direct engagement with citizens at the grassroots level.
The programme will be organised under the theme “Jan Bhagidari for Viksit Odisha: Empowered Citizens – Inclusive Cities – Sustainable Urban Future.” It seeks to bridge the information gap between government initiatives and citizens by highlighting the significant progress achieved over the last two years in urban sectors such as drinking water supply, sanitation, affordable housing, urban infrastructure, public transport, and digital governance.
The outreach programme is designed to strengthen the citizen-government partnership and foster a sense of public ownership in Odisha’s development journey, aligned with the vision of Viksit Odisha 2036 and Viksit Bharat 2047.
As part of the initiative, citizens will be informed about major urban development projects, ongoing welfare programmes, and the Government’s future roadmap for urban transformation. Beneficiaries of various Central and State Government schemes, including the SAHAJOG initiative, will receive work orders, sanction letters, and entitlement documents through a transparent public distribution process. The programme will also recognise and honour the contributions of sanitation workers, tax collectors, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), community partners, and other frontline urban service providers whose efforts contribute significantly to improving urban living standards.
To promote participatory governance, the Department will launch a dedicated QR code-based digital feedback platform along with physical feedback counters. Citizens will be able to submit suggestions, report infrastructure gaps, and provide feedback on urban services, enabling real-time citizen participation in governance.
The state-level programme at Puri will feature a presentation on Odisha’s urban transformation journey by Smt. Usha Padhee , Additional Chief Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department. Documentary screenings showcasing achievements in drinking water supply, housing, sanitation, public transport, metro vision, and digital governance initiatives will also be presented. Beneficiary testimonials, the launch of the digital feedback system, and the address by Hon’ble Minister Dr Mahapatra, outlining the Government’s future roadmap for urban development, will be among the key highlights of the event.
Across the State, Urban Local Bodies will organise local outreach programmes featuring live telecasts of the Puri event, awareness camps on government schemes, beneficiary interactions, distribution of achievement booklets highlighting two years of urban progress, and grievance registration facilities for citizens.
To ensure smooth implementation, all Municipal Commissioners and Executive Officers have been directed to make necessary arrangements for citizen mobilisation, venue management, and service delivery support. Designated nodal officers will coordinate with line departments to facilitate grievance redressal and beneficiary services. A real-time monitoring dashboard will track participation levels, service delivery outcomes, and grievances received during the programme.
The Housing & Urban Development Department is confident that this statewide Urban Outreach Programme will further strengthen public trust, deepen citizen participation, and reinforce Odisha’s commitment to building inclusive, sustainable, and citizen-centric urban centres