Odisha Govt Has Received Proposals For Formation Of 28 New Districts: Minister Sudam Marndi

Bhubaneswar, Feb 7: The Odisha government has received proposals for formation of 28 new districts by reorganising 15 existing districts of total 30 districts in the State, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi told the State Assembly on Wednesday.

Replying to a question asked by two BJP MLAs Naba Charan Majhi and Kusum Tete, the Minister told the House that the government would take suitable decision at the proper time on the demands for formation of new districts.

Marndi further informed that the Orissa High Court, while hearing a PIL (No 41923 of 2023) on the reorganisation of districts, on December 21, 2023, directed the State government not to issue any final order on this without the consent of the court.

As per the reply of the Minister, the government has received demands to form four new districts by reorganising the existing Mayurbhanj district. It was proposed to form west Mayurbhanj, Rairangpur, Khiching and Karanjia or Panchipur as new districts by dividing the tribal-dominated district.

Similarly, proposals were submitted to the government to reorganise the existing Ganjam district and declare Ghumusar, Aska, Berhampur and Bhanjanagar as new districts.

Some people demanded that Rourkela and Bonai in Sundargarh district as new districts, while the government has also received petitions from some other people demanding not to declare Rourkela as a new district.

Further, some people in Balangir district demanded to declare Titlagarh, Kantabanji and Patnagarh as new districts. There are demands to form Nilgiri, Soro and Jaleswar as new districts by reorganising the existing Balasore district.

The other proposed new districts are—Padampur (Bargarh district), Dharmagarh (Kalahandi), Talcher and Pallahara Gadjat (Angul), Bhubaneswar (Khordha), Athagarh and Chandikhol (Cuttack), Kuchinda (Sambalpur), Baliguda (Kandhamal), Anandpur (Keonjhar), Nimapara (Puri) and Gunupur (Rayagada).