Odisha soon to have 500 new Panchayats, says Panchayati Raj Minister

Odisha Government today approved proposals for 500 new Panchayats in the State. The Panchayati Raj Minister Arun Sahoo speaking to newsmen said that a formal notification in this regard will be issued soon.

It is noteworthy that, earlier the Odisha Cabinet have approved the proposal for the amendment to Odisha Gram Panchayat Act and according to that, while the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the annual performance of the Panchayati Raj Department decided to form 500 new gram panchayats (GPs) before the Panchayat polls.

Presently, the state has 6,211 Panchayats. All villages with a population of 1000 or more will be converted into gram panchayats in a phased manner, sources said.