CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has left it to the state government and State Election Commission to start the process for civic polls in Rourkela.
Former chairman of Rourkela municipality Nihar Ray had filed the petition in November 2o21 seeking judicial intervention for holding elections to the urban local body.
Polls were last held in 2008 and its term expired in 2013. Ray pointed out that the state government had since not conducted elections there citing a High Court stay issued on March 26, 2015.
The stay order was issued on two petitions filed in 2015 challenging the notification issued on November 14, 2014, declaring Rourkela municipality as Rourkela Municipal Corporation.
The HC dismissed the two petitions on April 22 this year upholding the state government’s notification and merger of several nearby villages.