BHUBANESWAR: In a major boost to urban development and civic governance, the state government on Wednesday officially upgraded Puri municipality into a municipal corporation and declared four urban areas as Notified Area Councils (NACs).
This was notified by the Housing and Urban Development department. The decision follows Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s announcement on July 3, when he declared the government’s intent to grant municipal corporation status to Puri, fulfilling a long-standing demand of local residents and civic groups. The official notification has triggered widespread celebrations across the city.
Puri, home to the sacred shrine of Lord Jagannath and one of India’s most important pilgrimage destinations, attracts thousands of devotees and tourists from across the world every day. The elevation of Puri municipality to municipal corporation status is expected to significantly enhance urban infrastructure, civic amenities and overall quality of services for residents, pilgrims and visitors.
With the new status, Puri is set to witness large-scale development of roads, sanitation, drainage, public transport and tourism infrastructure, paving way for emergence of a major urban hub along Odisha’s coast.
In the same notification, the government also declared four urban areas as NACs - Loisingha in Balangir district, Chandikhol in Jajpur district, Jashipur in Mayurbhanj district and Basta in Balasore district - as part of the state’s broader urban expansion strategy.
Additionally, a draft notification has been issued for expansion of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC), based on the chief minister’s announcement made on August 31, observed as Self-Governance Day.
Earlier this month, the state government had announced the creation of NACs in 24 towns across 14 districts and upgraded five NACs to municipalities. The state presently has 143 urbal local bodies (ULBs) including 85 NACs, 52 municipalities and six municipal corporations.