Odisha to conduct polls to 24 new urban bodies by June end

The Odisha government had issued notifications on December 31 creating 24 new Notified Area Councils and municipalities, triggering the election countdown

Elections to 24 newly-formed urban local bodies (ULBs) in Odisha will be completed by the end of June, State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi announced on Wednesday, as the state accelerates its urbanisation drive targeting 60 per cent coverage by 2047.

The Odisha government had issued notifications on Dec 31 creating 24 new Notified Area Councils (NAC) and municipalities. (Representative file pho)

The timeline follows a statutory requirement to complete the electoral process within six months of declaring any municipal area.

The Odisha government had issued notifications on December 31 creating 24 new Notified Area Councils (NAC) and municipalities, triggering the election countdown.

“As the NAC notification was released on December 31, all the related work should be completed within 30 days. If the delimitation and reservation process is completed, the SEC can proceed to make the electoral roll. Thereafter, the election process will begin,” Padhi said after a review meeting at Ganjam district.

The State Election Commission has formally notified the state government about completing the process within the mandated period. Election results will be declared by June-end, following which inaugural meetings of the newly-elected bodies will be convened.

Last month, the housing and urban development had notified 24 new urban bodies including 19 NACs such as Pallahara in Angul, Simulia in Balasore, Sohela in Bargarh, Tihidi and Dhusuri in Bhadrak, Salipur, Badamba and Narasinghpur in Cuttack, Gondia in Dhenkanal, Jagannathprasad and Patrapur in Ganjam, Narla and Jayapatna in Kalahandi, Tangi in Khurda, Borigumma in Koraput, and Betnoti, Bangiriposi, Chitrada, Kaptipada and Rasgobindpur in Mayurbhanj.Additionally, Bissamcuttack in Rayagada, Bamra and Rengali in Sambalpur, and Birmaharajpur in Sonepur. Odisha’s ULB count has now gone upto 139 from 115, comprising 86 NACs, 48 municipalities and five municipal corporations.

During Wednesday’s review meeting, the State Election Commission emphasised completing delimitation and reservation processes within 30 days to enable preparation of electoral rolls and commencement of the election process.