BHUBANESWAR: One-and-half years after the Mohan Charan Majhi government dissolved the Special Development Councils (SDCs) formed by the previous BJD regime citing their continued dysfunction and failure to achieve intended objectives, it has now reconstituted the bodies in 23 districts.
The government on Monday announced the names of the chairpersons and vice-chairpersons for each district. In order to ensure gender representation, women have been appointed vice-chairpersons in 22 councils. Keonjhar SDC is the only council to be headed by a woman Mamita Naik.
Chairman of Mayurbhanj council Bhudan Murmu was former MLA while Nuapada SDC chairman Homesingh Majhi had once contested for Nuapada Assembly seat from BJP ticket. All other appointees are active members of the BJP.
Majhi had approved the dissolution of all 23 SDCs in September 24, three months after the BJP came to power. The BJD government first established SDCs in 2017 covering nine tribal-dominated districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Koraput.
In May 2023, the jurisdiction was expanded to include 14 additional districts of Balangir, Ganjam, Boudh, Balasore, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi, Nayagarh, Nuapada, Angul, Bargarh, Jajpur, Jharsuguda and Deogarh, bringing the total to 23 districts.
The reconstituted SDCs will strengthen grassroots governance and ensure the focused implementation of welfare programmes in tribal areas. They will play a key role in promoting tribal art, culture, traditions and heritage while supporting infrastructure development and livelihood opportunities, the government stated.