Odisha builds collaborative urban governance model to turn city challenges into solutions

THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, SEPTEMBER 7, 2026

The Odisha government is strengthening urban governance through the Atal Network for Knowledge, Urbanisation and Reform (ANKUR), a collaborative platform designed to connect Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) with knowledge institutions, experts, development organisations and innovation partners to address city-specific challenges and improve citizen services.

Inspired by the vision of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee and launched on May 28, 2025, ANKUR seeks to bridge the gap between urban challenges and workable solutions by enabling ULBs to access specialised knowledge, technology and expertise, test innovative approaches, strengthen institutional capacity and scale successful interventions across cities.

Rather than operating as a standalone scheme, ANKUR complements the government's existing urban programmes by bringing knowledge, innovation and technical expertise into implementation, officials said.

"ANKUR is about connecting the needs of our cities with the right knowledge, expertise and solutions. By strengthening the capacity of Urban Local Bodies and enabling innovation, our objective is to make urban services simpler, faster and more responsive to citizens," Additional Chief Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Usha Padhee said.

At the heart of the initiative is a model of collaborative governance that brings together the government, knowledge institutions, technical experts, development organisations and innovation partners to address specific urban requirements.

The platform provides ULBs access to expertise in areas ranging from municipal finance, land management and urban planning to environmental engineering and digital systems. By pooling specialised knowledge, ANKUR aims to ensure that cities can access the right expertise at the right time without having to independently source solutions for every emerging challenge.

The initiative is already supporting interventions in digital governance, environmental management, regulatory reforms, capacity building, sanitation, livelihoods and citizen outreach.

Digital initiatives such as SUJOG are strengthening municipal service delivery across 115 cities, while data-driven interventions are helping authorities identify and address local urban issues.

Under the Dispersed Sources Programme, 2,604 localised pollution-related issues were identified in Bhubaneswar, of which 1,225 have already been resolved. The programme has set a target of resolving 80 per cent of the identified issues by October 2026.

ANKUR is also focusing on strengthening ULBs as institutions capable of planning, managing and delivering urban services more effectively. More than 1,150 government officials have undergone training through capacity-building initiatives, while knowledge-led reforms are contributing to the simplification of building construction, land subdivision and land-use regulations.

These reforms are expected to facilitate planned urban development and improve the utilisation of urban land, officials said.

The platform also seeks to place citizens at the centre of urban innovation. Mechanisation, safety equipment and training are being promoted to enhance the safety and dignity of sanitation workers, while initiatives such as the Lighthouse Programme are connecting young people with skills and employment opportunities.

Similarly, SAHAJOG and SAHAJOG Plus are helping urban families connect with government schemes and essential services, strengthening last-mile outreach.

ANKUR is further providing a platform to test, demonstrate and scale innovative solutions to emerging urban challenges, including the reuse of low-value plastic waste, improved management of Construction and Demolition Waste and other resource-efficient practices.

Successful interventions can subsequently be adapted and replicated across ULBs, creating a pathway for innovations developed in one city to generate wider public benefit.

The government envisages ANKUR as an urban innovation ecosystem in which a challenge identified by a city can be matched with appropriate expertise, converted into a practical solution, tested on the ground and subsequently scaled across the state.

Aligned with the vision of Viksit Odisha @2036, the initiative is aimed at strengthening the government's ability to convert knowledge into solutions and solutions into improved public services, contributing to the development of cleaner, safer, resilient and more citizen-centric cities across Odisha.