Bhubaneswar: Housing and Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra on Thursday informed that nine more Notified Area Councils (NACs) will be announced on August 31, Local Self-Governance Day.
The announcement comes shortly after the Housing and Urban Development Department declared 12 new NACs on August 17. The minister said that the government is actively considering public demands for NAC recognition in several districts but stressed that proposals must meet specific criteria.
“A draft notice will be prepared after studying population and related issues. The proposal will then be forwarded to the Chief Minister’s Office for approval. Simply demanding NAC status is not enough; rules and standards have to be met,” Mahapatra clarified.
On August 16, the state government issued a notification naming 12 new NACs, including Pallahara, Birmaharajpur, Simulia, Basta, Betnoti, Bangiriposhi, Chitrada, Bissam Cuttack, Bamra, Rengali, Tihidi, and Dhushuri. Following this, demands for NAC recognition from other areas have intensified.
The addition of nine more NACs will further expand Odisha’s urban local governance framework, strengthening civic administration in emerging towns.
