Bhubaneswar: Shrimati Usha Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, played a pivotal role in the structured orientation of IAS probationers by serving as both a strategic guide and a mentor. Director Municipal Administration, Shri Arindam Dakua and other senior officials joined the program.
During her engagement with the budding IAS officers, she provided a comprehensive overview of the department’s institutional frameworks, emphasizing how flagship schemes are translated from policy documents into tangible public services. Her presence underscored the importance of high-level administrative leadership in navigating the complexities of urban development, as she shared the intricacies of coordinating various wings to ensure efficient service delivery across the state.
The core mantra imparted by Shrimati Padhee to the budding IAS officers centered on the integration of empathy with administrative excellence. She stressed that effective governance in the urban sector requires a beneficiary-centric approach, where the success of a project is measured not just by its infrastructure but by its impact on the community.
By encouraging the probationers to understand the granular details of on-ground implementation—ranging from affordable housing to waste management—she highlighted that a successful administrator must remain grounded in the realities of the people they serve while maintaining a vision for long-term urban sustainability.
Through this interaction, ACS Shrimati Padhee advocated for a culture of innovation and resilience within the civil services. She pointed out that as the challenges of urbanization grow more complex, officers must rely on robust data, modern technology like that seen at the Water Treatment Plants, and proactive coordination to solve emerging issues.
Her guidance served as a call to action for the probationers to become proactive change-makers who balance the technical demands of infrastructure management with the social responsibility of enhancing the lives of urban citizens.