Demand For Separate District Status To Bhubaneswar Gains Steam

Bhubaneswar: The campaign for grant of separate district status to Odisha capital Bhubaneswar gained momentum with several organisations raising the demand.

Joining the campaign, Bhubaneswar Balijatra Committee on Monday said a signature collection drive is being launched and a memorandum will be submitted to the government for grant of district tag to the capital city.

Addressing a press meet here, leaders of the committee said that Bhubaneswar fulfills all the conditions required to be granted district status. When Khurda district was formed in 1992, its population was around 11 lakh, but now it more than 22 lakh. The state capital forms part of Khurda district.

Stating that the population of Bhubaneswar is now more than 11.61 lakh, the committee leaders said the population of at least 12 of the 30 districts of Odisha is less than that of Bhubaneswar.

Citing data, they said while the population of Deogarh district stands at over 3.19 lakh, it is 4.41 lakh in Boudh and 9.67 lakh in Rayagada district.

“Therefore, the government must consider our demand and accord district status to Bhubaneswar,” they said.

A memorandum with signatures of more than 10,000 people will be submitted to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik demanding immediate steps to district status to Bhubaneswar, which turns 75v years, committee leaders said.

The press meet was addressed among others by committee leaders like Abhaya Badajena, Anup Khuntia, Vinod Kumar Sahu, Sudhansu Tripathy, Pratap Routray, Sanatan Swain, Gajendra Barik, Naba Kishore Barik, Nirmal Rout and Santosh Nath.