Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated 1,608 affordable homes in Bhubaneswar’s Ghatikia and Gadakana areas on October 13, along with 12 modern playgrounds developed across the city and nearby locations. The projects were delivered under the PMAY-Urban Bandhu scheme and are intended to provide housing for eligible low-income families and workers.
The two housing projects are named Nilakantheswar Residency at Ghatikia and Mukteswar Residency at Gadakana. The Gadakana project includes 680 homes built on more than six acres at an estimated cost of about ₹95 crore. The Ghatikia project includes 928 homes developed on more than five acres at a cost of ₹66.48 crore.
The inauguration was held at Gadakana, where the chief minister said housing was among the most important basic needs after food. According to the report, Majhi said the state’s objective was to build a Bhubaneswar where poorer families could live with dignity, workers could access affordable housing and young people could develop their talent.
The projects are part of a broader package combining housing with basic services and community facilities. In his address, the chief minister said affordable housing should be supported by access to toilets, piped drinking water, electricity and cooking gas. The supplied report did not provide a separate breakdown of the delivery status of these services for each of the 1,608 homes.
The programme also included house-entry ceremonies for 962 families in Buddha Vihar, Nilamadhav, Subuddhipur and Shantipalli. The chief minister directly handed over housing allotments to beneficiaries associated with the two newly inaugurated projects, including Lakshmidhar Sethi, Naimuddin Khan, Ramachandra Sethi and Rasik Khandayatray at Ghatikia, and Nirmala Barik, Shashmita Patra, Rupa Sahu and Draupadi Devi at Gadakana.
In addition to the housing projects, 12 modern playgrounds completed by the Bhubaneswar Development Authority were opened for public use. The facilities are located at Bajrangi, K-4, Koliathia, Tamando, Nakhara, the CBSE Regional Office, Jadupur, Damana High School, Unit-2 Girls’ High School, Bhubaneswar Central Upper Primary School, Ghatikia and Unit-8 Boys’ High School. A playground at Saheed Nagar High School was also listed among the inaugurated facilities in the supplied report, which describes the programme as covering 12 locations.
The event included the distribution of bank-loan assistance to residents of Buddha Vihar. Tulasi Tiria and Durga Charan Singh received ₹1.20 lakh each, while Rashmika Naik and Prafulla Maharana received ₹1.35 lakh each. Sarbeswar Gaya received ₹1.25 lakh, according to the report.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Ekamra-Bhubaneswar MLA Babu Singh, Khordha MLA Prashant Jagdev and Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das attended the event. BDA Vice-Chairperson and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Commissioner Chanchal Rana delivered the welcome address, while BDA Secretary Manas Ranjan Padhi proposed the vote of thanks.
