States » EastPosted at: Oct 24 2026 6:07PM

Bhubaneswar, Oct 24 (UNI) Odisha aims to raise its urbanisation rate from 17 per cent to 40 per cent by 2036, marking 100 years of its formation as a separate province, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on Saturday, unveiling plans for modern infrastructure, satellite townships and expanded public transport.
Addressing the National Urban Conclave-2026 in Bhubaneswar, Majhi said work had begun to prepare the state for rapid urban growth.
Odisha has received investment proposals worth Rs 23 lakh crore, with projects involving Rs 3.5 lakh crore already grounded across more than 200 industries, he said. The government is developing the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri-Paradip Economic Region (BKPPER) with guidance from the Centre and NITI Aayog, while expanding Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and developing satellite townships. The state has also created 28 new Notified Area Councils, seven municipalities and one municipal corporation.
Under urban welfare initiatives, 1.53 lakh houses have been constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban. Another Rs 1,615 crore has been sanctioned over five years for the PMAY Urban Bandhu programme, which offers economically weaker section beneficiaries a 90 per cent exemption on stamp duty and registration fees.
The Mukhyamantri Sahari Bikash Yojana provides Rs 6,000 crore for urban infrastructure, while the Rs 1,600-crore Swachh Odisha Yojana supports sanitation. Round-the-clock Drink from Tap water supply is operational in 11 cities. The Garima scheme provides sanitation workers with modern equipment, protective gear, life insurance and social security.
Emphasising the conclave's theme, “The Right to Walk”, Majhi said safe footpaths, pedestrian crossings and public spaces were essential to urban transport planning.
The Capital Region Urban Transport network has expanded from 200 buses in 2018 to 770 buses operating on 138 routes across seven cities, carrying around 3.5 lakh passengers daily. Twenty-six electric buses were launched under the PM e-Bus Sewa programme, with another 550 electric, midi and mini buses planned. Ama Bus services will extend to nine more cities.
The Odisha Yatri app has facilitated more than nine lakh bus journeys, generating Rs 12 crore in earnings for drivers, who receive the full fare without commission.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said piped drinking water was reaching households in 114 urban areas. NITI Aayog CEO Anurag Jain said urban areas would account for 50 per cent of India's population and 75 per cent of its GDP by 2047, stressing the need for planned urbanisation.
Majhi also launched the state's new Urban Development Policy and released the Ankur and Town Planning handbooks. union Minister of State Tokhan Sahu and state Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra attended the conclave.UNI MK AAB