Naveen Calls For Building Inclusive Cities With Community Participation

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday called for building vibrant and inclusive cities where communities can cocreate their dreams.

Inaugurating the International Conclave on Urban Transformation in Bhubaneswar on virtual mode, the Chief Minister said Odisha, blessed with a rich heritage and adorned with beautiful temples, is now on a transformative drive to create smart avenues for all sections of society.

“Odisha is recreating inclusive cities where no one is left behind. At the heart of our vision is the empowerment of communities. Our success is not just the physical transformation, but also the profound impact it has on urban life,” he said.

Naveen further said the essence of this transformative journey is community led urban development under the 5T framework. “Sanitation, once a silent struggle, now takes confident strides with dignity. Our “Drink from Tap” mission is a commitment to the people to take them to new heights of wellbeing,” he added.

“We firmly believe that community-led urban development is not just the story of Odisha but rather a global paradigm shift in the offing. This international conclave is a testament to our commitment,” the CM said.

Addressing in the conclave, Minister of Housing and Urban Development Usha Devi said, “Urban development initiatives in Odisha have made remarkable achievements with best practices, new partnership and collaboration for inclusive development fostering innovation in multiple sectors. Providing safe drinking water, sanitation, livelihood generation support through technological innovation in urban governance are our some of our priorities.”

Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena said the state government has given thrust on people centric and community led development. “Urban growth is now a challenge not only in India, but also for other countries. Though we all are investing more on infrastructure, its management is challenge,” he added.

Speaking on Odisha’s achievement in land rights, he said Jaga Mission is helping ensure quality of life to slum dwellers in providing them good housing, road connectivity and basic amenities. Puri became the first city in the state with 24×7 drinking water under Drink from Tap mission and within 2 years the government will cover all cities.

Additional Chief Secretary, H&UD Department, G Mathi Vathanan and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Rahul Kapoor also spoke on the occasion.

Minister Usha Devi dedicated the Odisha Urban Academy, which will be a centre of excellence in imparting training and capacity building to all its stake holders, on the occasion. Odisha Inclusive Sanitation Policy-2024 was also launched and a coffee table book “Community Partnership in Urban Governance” released on the occasion.

More than 400 participants from 20 states of the country and 11 countries are participated in the three-day conclave, organised by the Housing and Urban Development department. This is the first ever international conference on urban transformation in Odisha.

The conclave will have sessions of Water for All, Inclusive Sanitation and Waste Management, Community-led Urban Transformation: Odisha’s Models for sustainable Urban Management, Emergency need for regulatory framework in Water.