Viksit Odisha / Odisha Govt Signs MoU with SBIePay for Digital Payments Across ULBs

Bhubaneswar, Sept 18: In a significant step towards strengthening digital payment services across Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the State, the Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UD), Government of Odisha, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Bank of India (SBI) through its payment aggregator service SBIePay, officials said on Friday.  

The collaboration aims to provide secure, convenient and cost-effective digital payment options for citizens across Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) under the SUJOG platform, they added.

The MoU was signed by Suvendu Sahoo, Additional Secretary, H&UD Department, and Sushant Kumar Dash, DGM, D&TB, SBI, in the presence of Usha Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary, H&UD Department, and Rakesh Yadav, Chief General Manager, SBI Odisha Circle.

Under this partnership, citizens will be able to make online payments for municipal services, taxes, fees and utility charges through multiple digital channels. These include RuPay, Visa, MasterCard, Maestro and AMEX cards, Internet Banking, Mobile Banking/IMPS, UPI, UPI-RCC (RuPay Credit Card), UPI-CL (Credit Line) and digital wallets.

The initiative is designed to reduce the need for citizens to physically visit municipal offices for routine transactions, thereby enhancing convenience and accessibility. Officials said the integration would also contribute to greater transparency, efficiency and ease of transactions in urban governance.

A key highlight of the framework is the seamless settlement of collections. Payments received through the gateway will be settled directly into the designated bank accounts of respective ULBs on a T+1 business-day basis. Unique transaction identifiers will ensure transparent accounting, reconciliation and tracking of collections across ULBs.

The system will also provide mechanisms for exception handling, MIS-based reconciliation, refunds and chargeback management, supported by a turnaround time (TAT) of seven calendar days. This is expected to further strengthen transparency and enhance citizen confidence in digital payment services.

Speaking on the occasion, Usha Padhee appreciated SBI’s support in strengthening the SUJOG platform, noting that the collaboration would enhance efficiency, convenience and accessibility of citizen services through digital means.

On his part, Rakesh Yadav said that SBI would extend full cooperation to make the initiative successful and further strengthen the digital payment ecosystem in Odisha.
Also Read: Odisha Police Signs MoU With NFSU To Strengthen Cybercrime Investigation

The partnership marks a milestone in Odisha’s digital governance journey, integrating a comprehensive and secure payment gateway with municipal service delivery. By enabling faster, safer and more accessible payment of urban taxes, fees and utility charges, the initiative is expected to significantly improve citizen experience and reinforce trust in digital governance.