Bhubaneswar, December 22: The Odisha Water Supply & Sewerage Board (OWSSB) held its 27th board meeting on Monday after a gap of nine years here. The board meeting was last held in 2016.
Housing and Urban Development Minister (H&UD) Dr Krushna Chandra Mohapatra chaired the meeting.
The Board has been reconstituted in October 2025 as part of the State Government’s concerted efforts to revive, strengthen and enhance the institutional effectiveness of OWSSB in line with the growing urban water supply and sewerage management requirements of the State.
H&UD Department Secretary and Board Vice-Chairperson Usha Padhee led the detailed deliberations.
The meeting was attended by senior officials including the Additional Secretary, Finance-cum-Director, Institutional Finance; Chairpersons of Keonjhar and Dhenkanal Municipalities and Kodala NAC as Ex-Officio Members; non-official members Sri Tapan Kumar Chand, Ex-CMD, NALCO, and Er. Ratindra Narayana Mallick, Ex-EIC, PHEO, the Managing Director, WATCO and Engineer-in-Chief, OWSSB as the Member Convenor.
A total of 24 agenda items covering important administrative, financial and technical matters were discussed in detail and decisions were taken.
The Board reviewed and confirmed the minutes of the previous Board Meeting, ratified the payment of gratuity to three Daily Labour Roll (DLR) employees, and approved an enhancement of Rs 200 in the special incentive for DLRs working in OWSSB.
Other agenda items aimed at improving organisational efficiency and service delivery were also deliberated upon.
To address key administrative and technical issues in a comprehensive manner, the Board decided to constitute a Committee The Committee will examine the relevant proposals and submit its recommendations for further course of action.
The Board emphasised the importance of holding Board Meetings on a regular basis to ensure effective governance, timely decision-making and improved overall functioning of OWSSB in the larger public interest.
