Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday inaugurated the National Urban Conclave 2026 in Bhubaneswar and launched 26 electric bus services under the PM E-Bus Sewa Scheme, marking another step towards strengthening sustainable urban mobility in the state.
The state government plans to introduce a total of 400 electric buses under the scheme, along with 100 midi buses and 50 mini e-buses. The new services will extend public transport connectivity to nine additional towns — Baripada, Anogula, Jharsuguda, Baleshwar, Jajpur, Rayagada, Jaypur, Bhadrak and Balangir.
Currently, the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) network operates Ama Bus services in seven cities across Odisha. With the expansion, the government aims to improve public transport access and promote cleaner, more efficient urban mobility.
Addressing the conclave, Chief Minister Majhi said the state government was developing modern urban infrastructure with the vision of building a prosperous Odisha. He highlighted the state’s ambition to become a $500-billion economy by 2036, when Odisha will complete 100 years as a separate state.
Odisha’s urbanisation rate currently stands at around 17 per cent and is targeted to reach 40 per cent by 2036, he said, adding that work had begun on developing modern infrastructure and institutions to support this transformation.
Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and the Purvodaya initiative, Odisha is emerging as a major growth engine, Majhi said.
He stressed the need to make cities inclusive, technology-driven and equipped with modern amenities as urban populations continue to grow.
The Chief Minister said industrialisation, port development, tourism and the services sector were creating significant opportunities for urban and economic growth in Odisha.
According to him, the state has received investment proposals worth Rs 23 lakh crore, while investments worth Rs 3.5 lakh crore have been grounded across more than 200 industrial projects.
The government is also working towards establishing the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Puri-Paradip Economic Region (BKPPER), with guidance from the Centre and NITI Aayog. Plans are underway to expand Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and develop new satellite townships.
Majhi also pointed to the creation of 28 new Notified Area Councils (NACs), seven municipalities and one municipal corporation as part of the state’s efforts to strengthen urban governance.
Highlighting the government’s urban welfare initiatives, Majhi said 1.53 lakh houses had been constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-Urban).
Under PMAY 2.0, Rs 1,615 crore has been approved over the next five years for the PMAY Urban Bandhu programme. Economically weaker section (EWS) beneficiaries are being provided a 90 per cent exemption on stamp duty and registration fees, he said.
The state is also implementing urban infrastructure projects worth Rs 6,000 crore, round-the-clock Drink From Tap water supply in 11 cities and the Swachh Odisha Yojana with an allocation of Rs 1,600 crore.
The Garima scheme is aimed at improving the safety and dignity of sanitation workers by providing modern equipment, protective gear, life insurance and social security benefits.
Emphasising the importance of safe and accessible public transport, the Chief Minister said the CRUT network had grown significantly since its launch in 2018 with 200 buses.
The network now operates 770 buses across 138 routes, connecting seven cities and serving around 3.5 lakh passengers daily, he said.
The newly launched e-bus services are expected to strengthen this network and extend its reach to nine more cities. The Odisha Yatri app has also facilitated more than nine lakh bus trips through digital ticketing. According to the Chief Minister, drivers have earned around Rs 12 crore through the platform, receiving 100 per cent of the fare without commission deductions.
Majhi also underscored the importance of the conclave’s central theme, The Right to Walk, stating that safe footpaths, pedestrian crossings and well-planned public spaces must be integral to urban transport planning.
During the event, the Chief Minister released the Ankur Handbook and the Town Planning Handbook and launched a new Urban Development Policy.
NITI Aayog CEO Anurag Jain said that by 2047, around 50 per cent of India’s population would live in urban areas and contribute approximately 75 per cent of the country’s GDP.
He stressed that urbanisation must be planned and well-organised to accelerate economic growth, warning that unplanned and haphazard urban expansion could create serious challenges.
Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg highlighted the expansion of the Drink From Tap initiative, which began in Puri and has now reached 11 cities. She said piped drinking water was being supplied to households across 114 urban areas in the state.
The government is involving Jalasathis in the initiative and collaborating with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) to regularly monitor and test water quality, she added.
Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu, Odisha Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department Usha Padhee and other senior officials, experts and media representatives attended the conclave.
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