Puri: The Odisha government has officially declared the entire area of Puri Municipality as a “Larger Urban Area”, paving the way for the formation of a municipal corporation.
The boundaries of the area include Malatipatapur Bus Stand, Beladala, Ura and Duhitakhanda.
According to official sources, the municipal corporation will comprise 39 wards, following the merger of several adjoining revenue villages into its existing limits. Thirty-four revenue villages from nine neighbouring gram panchayats have been included within new municipal corp
oration limits and grouped into eight wards, with the pre-existing municipal areas in the remaining wards.
The district collector’s proposal received formal approval from the state government and was finalised after no objections were received during the designated public consultation period, the sources added.
In January, the Housing and Urban Development Department had issued an official notification, upgrading Puri Municipality as the sixth Municipal Corporation of the state. The decision followed Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s July 3 announcement, when he declared the government’s intent to grant municipal corporation status to Puri, fulfilling a long-standing demand of local residents and civic groups.
The upgrade status is expected to significantly improve urban infrastructure, civic amenities and overall quality of services for residents, pilgrims and visitors of the town whose estimated population stands at around 2.45 lakh.