Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Majhi inaugurated the National Urban Conclave-2026 here on Saturday and flagged off 26 electric buses under the PM e-Bus Sewa scheme, underscoring the state’s push for modern urban infrastructure and sustainable mobility as it eyes a $500 billion economy by 2036, when Odisha completes 100 years as a separate state.
Chief Minister Mohan Majhi inaugurated the National Urban Conclave 2026 in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, unveiling a series of major urban mobility and infrastructure development initiatives aimed at transforming the state into a modern, economic powerhouse.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister highlighted Odisha’s target to achieve a $500 billion economy by 2036, marking the centenary of Odisha’s formation as a separate state. As part of the flagship PM e-Bus Sewa scheme, the Chief Minister launched 26 new e-busses, paving the way for a total fleet of 400 e-busses, 100 midi e-busses, and 50 mini e-busses. While public bus services under the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) network currently cover seven cities in Odisha, the arrival of these new electric buses will extend coverage to nine more urban centres: Baripada, Angul, Jharsuguda, Balasore, Jajpur, Rayagada, Jeypore, Bhadrak, and Bolangir.
Underlining the necessity of aggressive urban planning, Majhi noted that Odisha’s urban population rate, currently standing at 17 percent, is projected to reach 40 percent by 2036. He reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to building technology-driven, inclusive urban infrastructure aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ and the ‘Purvodaya’ policy.
Odisha has already attracted over ₹23 lakh crore in investment proposals, with grounding completed for over 200 industrial units worth ₹3.5 lakh crore, he noted.
The CM further stated that a core focus of the expansion plan includes the creation of the ‘Bhubaneswar-Kataka-Puri-Paradip Economic Region’ (BKPPER) in partnership with Union ministries and NITI Aayog. “To manage urban expansion, satellite townships are being developed around Bhubaneswar and Kataka, alongside the creation of 28 new Notified Area Councils (NACs), 7 Municipalities, and 1 Municipal Corporation,” he said.
Highlighting progress in welfare-oriented urban schemes, Majhi said 1.53 lakh houses have been constructed under PMAY-Urban, while PMAY 2.0’s “PMAY Urban Bandhu” programme has received Rs 1,615 crore over the next five years, including 90 per cent exemption on stamp duty and registration fees for Economically Weaker Section beneficiaries. Additional, he mentioned the ongoing urban investments include ₹6,000 crore for state-wide infrastructure, ₹1,600 crore under the ‘Swachh Odisha Scheme’, 24-hour ‘Drink from Tap’ water coverage across 11 cities, and safety, insurance, and modern equipment provisions for sanitation workers under the ‘Garima’ scheme.
Focusing on the conclave’s emphasis on the “Right to Walk,” the Chief Minister said safe footpaths, crossings and public space planning form the core of urban transport. He noted that CRUT’s transit network has scaled from 200 buses in 2018 to 770 buses operating across 138 routes, serving 3.5 lakh passengers daily. Furthermore, the driver-friendly ‘Odisha Yatri App’ has facilitated over 9 lakh zero-commission rides, generating direct earnings of ₹12 crore for local transport operators.
Majhi also released the Ankur Handbook and Town Planning Handbook and launched a new urban development policy.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg highlighted that the “Drink from Tap” project, which began in the holy city of Puri, has successfully expanded to 11 cities, with piped drinking water now reaching households in 114 urban areas across the state. Jal Sathis are being engaged for effective management, and collaboration with IIT is ensuring regular water quality testing and monitoring.
NITI Aayog CEO Anurag Jain observed that by 2047, 50 per cent of India’s population will live in urban areas and contribute 75 per cent of the country’s GDP, making planned and organised urbanisation essential for economic progress while unplanned growth creates serious challenges.
Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu, Odisha Housing and Urban Development Minister Dr Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Additional Chief Secretary Usha Padhee and other senior officials from the Centre and state, experts and media representatives were present at the event.
The conclave forms part of twin national urban events hosted in Bhubaneswar this week, including the 19th Urban Mobility India Conference, reflecting Odisha’s growing role in shaping India’s urban future.