SAMBALPUR: Nearly a year after announcing upgradation of Sambalpur Municipality into Corporation, the State Government has issued a notification in this regard.
The Corporation limits would comprise areas under Sambalpur Municipality, Burla NAC and Hirakud NAC besides 56 villages under 12 gram panchayats (GPs).
The GPs which have been included are A Katapali, Baijamunda, Chaunrpur, Senhapali, Gadmunda, Kainsir, Sankarma, Mathapali, Sindurpank, Themra, Maneswar and Gunderpur.
The notification has raised hope among locals who look forward to rapid development. However, the merger of GPs would deny people of the benefits which they were enjoying in the past as they will no more have access to freebies and subsidies.
While the Government’s declaration in September helped BJD bag the Sambalpur Assembly segment in the last election, it remains to be seen if the party pays attention to some of the core problems faced by the town.
All eyes are now on the municipality election and locals hope that it does not go the Attabira and Nuapada NAC way. Though elections to the newly-carved Attabira and Nuapada NACs were held in April last year, lack of required infrastructure and support from the State Government has rendered the two NACs useless.
However, a slew of development activities taken up in Sambalpur town has led the people to believe that the State Government is serious this time.