Bhubaneswar: Team Urban led by Smt.Usdha Padhee, Principal Secretary Housing and Urban Development held detailed discussion with the 6th State Finance Commission (SFC).
The meeting was led by the Chairman of the 6th State Finance Commission, Dr. Arun Kumar Panda, who guided the extensive deliberations.
Smt. Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary of the H&UD Department, presented a comprehensive overview of the department’s key activities and priorities for consideration during the forthcoming Finance Commission period (2026–27 to 2030–31).
The discussions focused on several critical areas aimed at strengthening urban governance and ensuring sustainable urban development. Key topics included the criteria for incentive grants, improvement in urban governance and fiscal discipline, enhancing performance in sanitation, human resources development, capacity-building, and training for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
Further points of focus were the establishment of robust Project Management Units (PMUs), improvement in accounting and financial management, and augmentation of ULBs’ own-source revenues. Smt. Padhee presented the sector-wise financial requirements for the five-year period to the Commission.
Dr. Panda, along with Members Prof. Asit Rajan Mohanty, Dr. Bibhu Prasad Nayak, and Member Secretary Dr. Satyapriya Ratha, engaged with the H&UD team on these proposals. The interaction served as a valuable platform to align the Department’s strategies with the Commission’s objectives.
The engagement reinforced the shared vision of strengthening urban governance, promoting fiscal responsibility, and fostering sustainable urban development, contributing to the larger goals of Viksit Odisha @2036 and Viksit Bharat @2047.
Director of Municipal Administration & Ex-Officio Member, SFC, Financial Adviser-cum-Additional Secretary, Additional Secretaries, and senior officers of the Department also participated in the deliberations.