Odisha Government Accelerates Process to Establish 20 New NACs

Bhubaneswar: In a significant move to boost urban development, the Odisha government has fast-tracked the process for establishing 20 new Notified Area Councils (NACs) across the state.

The Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Department has received recommendations from various district administrations and has forwarded them to the Panchayati Raj Department for further opinion.

“We have sent the recommendations for the creation of new NACs to the Panchayati Raj Department and are awaiting their views,” said H&UD Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra on Tuesday.

Following the receipt of feedback from the Panchayati Raj Department, the H&UD Department will submit a final proposal to the Chief Minister for approval. The formation of the new NACs will proceed after the Chief Minister grants the necessary clearance, the Minister confirmed.

The initiative aligns with the state government’s vision to increase urbanisation. Currently, Odisha has 17% urban areas, and the government aims to raise this figure to 30% by establishing new NACs and upgrading existing regions to municipalities.

Earlier, the H&UD Department had asked all district collectors to identify and recommend suitable areas for the creation of new NACs to meet the state’s long-term urban planning goals.