28 new districts to be carved out in Odisha? Here’s Minister’s reply in Assembly

Bhubaneswar: The state government has received petitions for creation of 28 new districts in Odisha, revealed Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi in the Assembly today.

The Odisha government has received petitions for creation of 28 new districts including Kantabanji, Padmapur and Junagarh in the state, Marndi informed the Assembly while replying to a query of Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja.

According to the Minister, the state government has received petitions for creation of Padampur, Dharmagarh, West Mayurbhanj, Rairangpur, Khiching, Karanjia or Panchipur, Bonai, Rourkela, Titlagarh, Kantabanji, Patnagarh, Talcher, Pallahara Gadjat, Bhubaneswar, Ghumusar, Rushikulya (headquarters at Aska), Berhampur, Bhanjanagar, Chandikhol, Athagarh, Kuchinda, Baliguda, Anandpur, Nilgiri, Soro, Jaleswar, Nimapara and Gunupur districts in Odisha.

The government has also received some petitions opposing any move to carve out Rourkela district from Sundargarh, said the Minister.

“The state government will take appropriate decision regarding the plea for creation of new districts in Odisha at appropriate time in accordance with the existing rules,” he added.

The Orissa High Court, while hearing a PIL recently, has asked the state government not to take the final decision regarding creation of any new district in Odisha without due consent from the HC.

Earlier, Congress MLA Saluja sought to know details about the state government’s plan for creation of new districts in Odisha.