Bhubaneswar, Oct 14: The Housing & Urban Development Department held a detailed discussion today to explore avenues for strategic collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the areas of urban development and mobility.

The meeting, chaired by Usha Padhee, H&UD Secretary, focused on accelerating Odisha’s urban transformation through strengthened cooperation in infrastructure development, sustainable mobility, and resilient urban planning.

Both sides discussed the creation of joint committees for effective monitoring, data-driven decision-making, and integrated project management—aimed at ensuring faster, smarter, and more transparent implementation of urban initiatives.

A delegation from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), comprising Sougat Dasgupta and Abhisek Mukharjee, expressed ADB’s commitment to a long-term partnership with Odisha. The team shared their intent to extend technical and financial support beyond urban development and mobility to allied sectors such as commerce and transport, thereby fostering inclusive and sustainable growth.

Padhee appreciated ADB’s continued engagement in Odisha’s development journey and emphasized the state government’s vision of building future-ready, resilient, and people-centric cities.

She underlined the department’s focus on integrated planning, innovation-driven governance, and sustainable solutions to improve the quality of life across urban areas.

Special Secretary Rajesh Pravakar Patil was also present during the discussion.