A nine‑member delegation from the Rajasthan Urban Drinking Water Sewerage and Infrastructure Corporation Ltd. (RUIDP), Jaipur, visited Bhubaneswar and Puri to study Odisha’s urban development initiatives under an Asian Development Bank (ADB)‑supported exposure programme.
The team, led by senior engineers including Mohan Lal Saini and Mukesh Kumar Meena, inspected key urban infrastructure projects and interacted with Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation officials. They examined Odisha’s governance framework, sanitation systems, and citizen‑centric service delivery models.
A highlight of the visit was an interaction at the Odisha Urban Academy with Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee. She presented a detailed overview of Odisha’s urban transformation journey, emphasising innovative reforms that positioned the state as a national leader.
Padhee showcased the acclaimed 24×7 Drink from Tap Mission, which ensures safe and equitable drinking water access. She also highlighted achievements in sanitation, waste management, integrated planning, public transport modernisation, and technology‑driven governance.
The Odisha urban transformation initiatives impressed the RUIDP delegation, which expressed interest in replicating several successful models in Rajasthan. Officials described the visit as a valuable platform for knowledge sharing and strengthening inter‑state collaboration in urban development.
Senior officials, including Suvendu Kumar Sahu, Director of Odisha Urban Academy, also joined the session.
