Odisha Govt Appoints Administrators For 66 ULBs

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Saturday appointed administrators for 66 urban local bodies (ULBs), including the Berhampur Municipal Corporation, following expiry of their term.

According to a notification by the Housing and Urban Development department, the Ganjam collector has been given the additional charge as the administrator of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation and will discharge the duty of the Mayor.

Besides, the district collectors, additional district magistrates, sub-collectors, project directors, District Rural Development Authority (DRDA) and other senior officials have been appointed as the administrators of the 30 municipalities and 35 notified area councils (NACs), the notification added.

The move of the Housing and Urban Development department was in response to a letter from the State Election Commission (SEC) to take necessary steps for the management and administration of the ULBs according to constitutional mandate.

In the letter to the department, SEC secretary Udaya Narayan Das had said the Commission could not conduct polls to these 66 ULBs as the state government is yet to provide details with regard to delimitation of the wards, reservation of seats and preparation of electoral rolls.