THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, AUGUST 31, 2026

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday said cities should not merely be places of habitation but must emerge as economic hubs generating employment, promoting entrepreneurship and creating new opportunities for the youth.

 “Our cities are not merely places of habitation. A city is a centre of employment, enterprise, education and prosperity. We have to develop our cities as economic hubs where the younger generation gets new opportunities, entrepreneurs can grow and new employment opportunities are created,” Majhi said while addressing the state-level celebration of Local Self-Government Day 2026 here.

The Chief Minister announced a special package of Rs 560 crore for infrastructure development in 28 newly constituted Notified Area Councils (NACs), with each NAC to receive Rs 20 crore.

The funds will be utilised for roads, drains, markets and other infrastructure works in the respective areas, officials said.

Majhi also launched 593 projects worth Rs 323 crore for 62 urban local bodies under the Mukhyamantri Sahari Bikash Yojana.

Of the projects, 423 worth Rs 102 crore were inaugurated, while foundation stones were laid for 170 projects valued at Rs 221 crore.

Directing municipal administration officials and employees to serve citizens with dignity and respect, Majhi stressed extensive use of technology, simplification of procedures and time-bound resolution of public grievances.

He called for a change in the work culture of urban local bodies and urged officials to work towards making every city a strong engine of Odisha's economic growth.

Advising elected representatives of urban local bodies, the chief minister said the government was working by keeping the hopes, aspirations and needs of the people at the centre.

He urged the representatives to remain connected with citizens, listen to their problems and coordinate with officials to address them.

On the occasion, MoUs were signed between the Odisha Urban Academy and Sri Sri University, Indian School of Business and the National Institute of Urban Affairs for enhancing the capacity and efficiency of urban local bodies.

Another MoU was signed between CRUT and Sri Sri University.

Majhi also launched OSWAN Video Conferencing facilities in 115 urban local bodies, besides the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Bandhu initiative and the Odisha Yatri SOS app.

Under the Sahajog programme, 7,886 families comprising 2,77,595 individuals have been connected with various government schemes, according to the information shared at the programme.

The chief minister felicitated and thanked employees of urban local bodies, Swachh Sathi, Jal Sathi, sanitation workers and CRUT personnel for their dedicated services.

He also interacted with Runu Pradhan, a Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana beneficiary from Phulbani Municipality, regarding construction of her house and appreciated her for completing it within the stipulated timeframe.

Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra said 28 new NACs and seven new municipalities had been constituted after the present government assumed office, while Puri had been accorded municipal corporation status.

The government was giving equal importance to urban infrastructure development in smaller NACs and municipal areas as well as major cities, he said, appealing to people to work together towards building a clean and drug-free Odisha.

Bhubaneswar-Ekamra MLA Babu Singh called for developing Bhubaneswar as a leading city in education, healthcare and livelihood opportunities.

Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Mayor Sulochana Das said several schemes had been formulated for urban residents and stressed that urban development was possible only with people's cooperation.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the state had set a target of raising the level of urbanisation to 40 per cent by 2036 and 60 per cent by 2047.

Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department Usha Padhee delivered the welcome address, while Director of Municipal Administration Arindam Dakua proposed the vote of thanks.