More than 500 new gram panchayats are being formed in Odisha and a formal notification in this regard will be issued by the State government in the near future.
The new gram panchayats are being created by bifurcating the gram panchayats that had population of over 10,000 people in order to improve functioning of the administration at the grassroots level.
Polls in February 2017
According to official sources, the new gram panchayats will also go the polls in February 2017 when panchayat elections are scheduled to be held across the State.
Odisha has a total of 6,234 gram panchayats at present. The State Cabinet had recently approved the proposal for creation of new gram panchayats by carrying out necessary amendments in the Odisha Gram Panchayat Act.
The Panchayati Raj Department would submit the records pertaining to the boundaries and reservation status of the new panchayats to the State Election Commission before process begins for the forthcoming panchayat elections, according to sources.
