Odisha Holds Workshop on SUJOG 2.0 to Boost Citizen-Centric Urban Services

Bhubaneswar: The Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD), Government of Odisha, today organised a workshop on SUJOG 2.0, marking a major step toward strengthening citizen-friendly, transparent, and efficient urban service delivery across the State.

The workshop opened with a welcome address by Dr. Subrata Kumar Biswal, State Lead, eGov Foundation, followed by the launch of the SUJOG Impact Assessment Report, conducted by 60_decibels. The report highlighted the achievements of SUJOG 1.0, particularly its contribution to improving ease of access to core municipal services.

The inaugural session was attended by senior dignitaries including Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary, H&UDD; Viraj Tyagi, CEO, eGov Foundation; Arindam Dakua, Director Municipal Administration; BMC Commissioner Chanchal Rana; and CMC Commissioner Kirandeep Kaur Sahota.

Speaking on the occasion, Padhee emphasised that public service delivery must go beyond transactions and work toward building long-term trust between citizens and institutions. She said that SUJOG 2.0 has been designed to upgrade technology and governance mechanisms, ensuring transparent, accountable, and seamless urban services statewide.

During the second session, officials discussed how SUJOG 2.0 aligns with the vision of Viksit Odisha 2036. Prashanth Chandramouleeswaran, Director, eGov Foundation, explained that the upgraded platform will enhance service delivery standards, improve grievance redressal systems, boost citizen participation, and promote data-backed decision-making in Urban Local Bodies.

A dedicated session on Artificial Intelligence explored the role of emerging technologies in transforming municipal services. Manish Srivastava, CTO, eGov Foundation, highlighted AI-led possibilities in sanitation management, urban planning, regulatory systems, and real-time analytics to support smarter urban governance.

In the closing session, Padhee and Dakua underscored the importance of teamwork, coordination, and strong ownership among all departments and Urban Local Bodies to ensure the smooth rollout of SUJOG 2.0.