Odisha Govt Received Petitions For Formation Of 28 New Districts, Says Minister

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has received petitions for creation of 28 new districts, said Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi in the Assembly on Wednesday.

Replying to a question from Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja, Marndi said the government had received petitions for creation of Padampur, Dharmagarh, West Mayurbhanj, Rairangpur, Khiching, Karanjia or Panchipur, Bonai, Rourkela, Titlagarh, Kantabanji, Patnagarh, Talcher, Pallahara Gadjat, Bhubaneswar, Ghumusar, Rushikulya (headquarters at Aska), Berhampur, Bhanjanagar, Chandikhol, Athagarh, Kuchinda, Baliguda, Anandpur, Nilgiri, Soro, Jaleswar, Nimapara and Gunupur districts.

Marndi said the decision for creation of new districts in Odisha will be taken at appropriate time and in accordance with the existing rules. He also informed that the government had received petitions against formation of Rourkela district from Sundargarh.

In December last year, the Orissa High Court had asked the government not to form new districts without its consent. The division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice BR Sarangi and Justice Murahari Raman had given the directions after hearing a writ petition for creation of new districts.