Odisha Showcases Urban Growth Vision at National Consultation on ₹1 Lakh Crore Urban Challenge Fund

New Delhi: A high-level consultation on the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF), aimed at accelerating India’s urban transformation, brought together key policymakers and state representatives at the India Habitat Centre following the release of its operational guidelines earlier this month.

The meeting was chaired by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and focused on implementation strategies, project prioritisation, and effective utilisation of the ₹1 lakh crore fund earmarked for urban infrastructure development.

Representing Odisha, Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra described the UCF as a transformative opportunity to drive a “new take-off” in urban growth. He said the initiative aligns with the vision of Narendra Modi for Viksit Bharat @ 2047 and would promote self-reliant cities through market-based approaches and private sector participation.

Highlighting the state’s strategy, Mahapatra identified the Bhubaneswar–Cuttack–Puri–Paradip Economic Region as a major growth hub, with a pipeline of investment-ready projects aimed at building world-class infrastructure, boosting climate resilience, and generating employment.

Providing a broader roadmap, Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee outlined Odisha’s long-term urban development vision under Viksit Odisha @ 2036. She emphasised convergence-driven planning, data-led governance, and institutional capacity building as key pillars for executing large-scale projects efficiently. She also highlighted the need for sustainable and innovation-led urban ecosystems.

The consultation deliberated on critical focus areas such as Integrated Command and Control Centres, municipal digitisation, drone-based land management, transit-oriented development, dumpsite remediation, and strengthening of core urban infrastructure.