BHUBANESWAR: A delegation from the Odisha government recently visited Chennai to explore affordable housing and urban habitat programs backed by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), according to an official statement released on Friday.
Led by Usha Padhee, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, the team aimed to understand successful models of affordable housing delivery, institutional strengthening, innovative financing frameworks, and sustainable urban habitat development in Tamil Nadu.
During their visit, Padhee, along with officials from the Odisha Urban Housing Mission (OUHM), engaged in detailed discussions with senior representatives from the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board and the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority to gather insights on policy frameworks, project structuring, and implementation strategies.
The delegation received a briefing on the Housing and Habitat Development Project, which is supported by the World Bank and involves an investment of around USD 200 million.
The visit also included information on the ADB-backed initiative aimed at providing inclusive, resilient, and sustainable housing for the urban poor, with an estimated budget of USD 150 million, intended to develop approximately 6,000 housing units at various locations.
Later that day, Padhee visited IIT Madras and delivered a lecture titled “The Intersection of Technology, Policy, and Public Service”.
She emphasized that the knowledge gained from Tamil Nadu’s experiences and academic discussions would significantly inform the development of inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban strategies in Odisha.
