Odisha H&UD, SBI sign MoU to boost digital payments in ULBs via SUJOG
Synopsis
Odisha has plugged SBI's SBIePay gateway into its SUJOG municipal platform, giving citizens across Urban Local Bodies a one-stop window for paying taxes, fees, and utility charges via UPI, cards, and wallets — with T+1 settlement and a seven-day TAT for refunds. It is a significant step in digitising grassroots urban governance in one of India's larger states.
Key Takeaways
Odisha H&UD Department and State Bank of India signed an MoU on 18 September 2026 to integrate SBIePay with the SUJOG platform.
Citizens can pay municipal taxes, fees, and utility charges via UPI, RuPay, Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, internet banking, mobile banking/IMPS , and digital wallets .
Payments will be settled into ULB bank accounts on a T+1 business-day basis using unique transaction identifiers.
Exception handling, MIS reconciliation, refunds, and chargeback management will have a seven calendar-day turnaround time.
The initiative aims to reduce citizens' need to visit municipal offices for routine transactions, improving transparency and efficiency in urban governance.
The Odisha Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Department on Friday, 18 September signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Bank of India (SBI), through its payment aggregator service SBIePay, to strengthen digital payment infrastructure across Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the state. The partnership will enable citizens to make online payments for municipal services through the SUJOG platform, covering taxes, fees, and utility charges using a wide range of payment modes.
What the MoU Covers
Under the agreement, the SUJOG platform will accept payments via 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 breadth of payment options is designed to ensure accessibility for citizens across urban Odisha, regardless of their preferred banking or payment channel.
Key Features of the Payment Framework
A defining feature of the new framework is T+1 business-day settlement — payments received through the gateway will be credited directly into the designated bank accounts of the respective ULBs the following business day. Unique transaction identifiers will support transparent accounting, reconciliation, and tracking of collections across all ULBs. The system will also include mechanisms for exception handling, Management Information System (MIS)-based reconciliation, refunds, and chargeback management, with a turnaround time (TAT) of seven calendar days for these processes.
What Officials Said
Usha Padhee, Additional Chief Secretary of the H&UD Department, thanked SBI for its support in strengthening the SUJOG platform and said the collaboration would 'further enhance the efficiency, convenience and accessibility of citizen services through digital means.' Rakesh Yadav, Chief General Manager of SBI Odisha Circle, assured that the bank would 'extend all possible support and cooperation to make the initiative successful and further strengthen the digital payment ecosystem under SUJOG.'
Impact on Citizens and Urban Governance
The H&UD Department stated that the initiative aims to reduce the need for citizens to visit municipal offices for routine transactions, making payments faster, simpler, and safer. The integration is also expected to contribute to greater transparency and efficiency in urban governance — a priority as Odisha accelerates its smart-city and digital-governance agenda. This comes amid a broader national push under India's Digital India mission, with state governments increasingly deploying fintech infrastructure to modernise local-body service delivery.
Point of View
But its real test will be adoption rates at the ULB level, where digital literacy and connectivity remain uneven. T+1 settlement is a genuine operational upgrade for cash-strapped municipalities, yet the seven-day TAT for refunds and chargebacks may still frustrate citizens accustomed to near-instant private-sector fintech. The bigger question is whether backend reconciliation infrastructure at the ULB level — often under-resourced — can absorb MIS-driven accountability without becoming another compliance burden on already thin municipal staff.
NationPress
18 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MoU between Odisha H&UD Department and SBI about?
The MoU integrates SBI's payment aggregator service SBIePay with Odisha's SUJOG platform, enabling citizens across Urban Local Bodies to pay municipal taxes, fees, and utility charges through a secure digital gateway. The agreement was signed on 18 September 2026 in Bhubaneswar.
What payment methods will be available under the SUJOG platform?
Citizens will be able to pay via 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 wide range of options is intended to maximise accessibility across urban Odisha.
How quickly will ULBs receive payments made through the new gateway?
Payments will be settled directly into the designated bank accounts of the respective Urban Local Bodies on a T+1 business-day basis. Unique transaction identifiers will support reconciliation and transparent tracking of collections.
What is the SUJOG platform?
SUJOG is Odisha's integrated municipal service delivery platform, managed by the Housing and Urban Development Department. It serves as the digital interface through which citizens interact with Urban Local Bodies for payments and other civic services.
How will disputes, refunds, and errors be handled under the new system?
The system will include exception handling, MIS-based reconciliation, refund processing, and chargeback management, all with a turnaround time of seven calendar days. These mechanisms are designed to strengthen citizen confidence in using the digital payment infrastructure.
