Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government is expected to announce the creation of new Notified Area Councils (NACs) soon, if the recent statement of Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra is taken into consideration.

As per the Minister, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will unveil the names of the new NACs in the near future. Mahapatra added proposals for the formation of new NACs have been received from all 30 districts and forwarded to the Panchayati Raj Department for further review.

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in Odisha set to complete one year in office on June 12, it is anticipated the Chief Minister will make the announcement on that day to mark the occasion.

Currently, Odisha has 113 NACs, also known as Nagar Panchayats. These urban local bodies serve smaller urban centers with populations ranging from 12,000 to 40,000. In addition to the NACs, the State also comprises 54 municipalities and five municipal corporations.