Govt plans urban devpt task force to execute projects | Bhubaneswar News – Times of India

Bhubaneswar: To take urban development to a new height, the state govt mooted a plan to form an Odisha Urban Development Task Force, which will plan and execute existing as well as upcoming ambitious projects in several urban areas of the state.To begin with, the housing and urban development department initiated the process to hire an agency that will operationalise and support formation of the task force. The department recently invited requests for proposals for the hiring of the agency.According to the document issued by the govt, the department lined up several ambitious projects, which will be taken up by the task force. However, the focal point remained on the Quad-City Economic Region comprising the cities of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, and Paradip.The task force will be led by the govt and will have philanthropic foundations, multilateral financial institutions, and global development agencies as its members. It will also have knowledge partners, private sector investment partners, and civil societies and community engagement groups.“To ensure rapid implementation and sustainable impact, the task force will be supported by a dedicated Strategic Execution and Support Unit comprising senior govt officials, leveraging both state capabilities and international expertise for execution support,” reads the document of the govt.The support unit will develop a structured roadmap for urban transformation with clear priorities and will also secure multi-channel financing from philanthropic organisations, multilateral institutions, and private investors to sustain long-term urban growth.“The Quad-City Economic Corridor is one of the biggest urban development initiatives to be taken up in the state and it needs meticulous planning for execution. The objective of the task force will be to achieve the set goals,” a senior urban development official said.She said that an execution partner is required to operationalise the task force. “The execution agency will be hired for six months initially and based on the performances and outcomes, the service will be extended to the planned period of five years,” said the official.The department also listed some of the impact areas in the urban development landscape, which include urban livelihood programmes, affordable housing, health and access to education, gender-inclusive and disability-friendly urban spaces, and more.“This sounds something big and interesting. The state govt has been announcing back-to-back urban development initiatives such as the mega city plan, tri-city plan, and more. I hope the task force will not just plan but also execute things,” urban planner Dipu Nanda said.