Bhubaneswar: Three days’ International Conclave on Urban Transformation began today at Hotel Vivanta, Bhubaneswar, organised by the Department of Housing & Urban Development (H&UD), Government of Odisha.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declared this International Conclave open by participating in the programme through virtual mode. In this conclave more than 400 participants from 11 countries and 20 States of our country have participated. This is the first ever International conference on Urban Transformation being conducted in Odisha.
Welcoming all the participants, in his inaugural address, Chief Minister in his Video messagesaid, Odisha, the land of Lord Jagannath, 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.
The Chief Minister also said that 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. 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.
The Chief Minister said,”We firmly believe that community-led urban development is not just the story of Odisha but rather a global paradigm shift in the offing. The International Conclave on Urban Transformation is a testament to our commitment.”
He extended a warm invitation to all to learn from our experiences, create their own stories, and collaborate to build a better urban future for all.
He also urged all to embark on the journey to build vibrant and inclusive cities, where communities co-create their dreams, and every single voice is not just acknowledged but genuinely heard.
Minister, Housing and Urban Development, Government of Odisha, Usha Devi, Chief Secretary, Odisha Pradeep Kumar Jena, Additional Chief Secretary, H&UD Department, Odisha G Mathi Vathanan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India Rahul Kapoor attended in the inaugural session of the Conclave as guests and spoke on the occasion.
Addressing the Conclave H & UD Minister Usha Devi said, “ Urban development initiatives in Odisha has 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 some of our priorities. People-centric, participatory and collective approach is our aim to bring quality of life in the cities.” she said.
Chief Secretary Jena said that, the Government of Odisha under the able leadership of the Chief Minister 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, but its management is a challenge.
Focusing on Odisha’s achievement in Land rights, he said Jaga Mission is helping to bring quality of life to slum dwellers in providing them good housing and quality of life, internal road connectivity and basic amenities.
Citizens are becoming more aspirational for better living and we all should work ensuring sustainable development. Puri became the first city in Odisha with 24X7 Drinking water under Drink from Tap mission and within 2 years our government is taking steps to cover all cities to have drinking water facilities, Chief Secretary said.
Joint Secretary, MoHUA, GOI said that Odisha has been role model in satisfying the people of Odisha providing basic urban amenities. Various schemes of State Government like Jaga Mission, Drink from Tap, MUKTA, Ama Pokhari Yojana with involvement of Mission Shakti Women SHGs and community is holding right way to go ahead for urban transformation.
Minister, H&UD, Odisha also dedicated the “Odisha Urban Academy” which will be a centre of excellence in imparting training and capacity building to all its stake holders.
Odisha Inclusive Sanitation Policy-2024 was also launched in the conclave and a Coffee Table Book on Community Partnership in Urban Governance has been released on the occasion.
Special Secretary, H&UD Department, GoO Sagarika Patnaik gave brief introduction about the scheduled programmes to be organised during the 3 days’ event.
During these 3 days’ programme being held from 18th to 20th January, 2024, important sessions like 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, Sanitation and Hygiene, inputs from panel of key stakeholders and experts have been scheduled to be held.
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