Bhubaneswar set for major expansion as 71 villages eye inclusion in BMC limits; proposal under review

The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has begun the formal process to expand its administrative boundaries, proposing the inclusion of 71 villages across 14 panchayats situated on the city’s outskirts, officials said on Monday.

According to sources, village-level reports from three blocks have already been submitted to the BMC Commissioner. The corporation will proceed with the merger only after receiving feasibility clearance from the Housing and Urban Development Department.

While the move aims to bring peripheral areas under improved urban governance, concerns have surfaced over infrastructure readiness, resource management, and representation in civic administration once the merger is finalised.

According to reports, the initial list under consideration would bring villages from Tamando, Dhauli, Lingipur, Raghunathpur, Daruthenga, Andharua, Daspur, Gothapatna and select panchayats in Balianta and Jatni into the BMC’s jurisdiction.

Sources stated that the plan covers 14 panchayats in total, amounting to more than 70 villages that have supplied the requisite data for the merger exercise.

Bhubaneswar Expansion Only After Thorough Consideration

In an interaction with OTV, BMC Commissioner Chanchal Rana said that representatives from several villages have already submitted their particulars expressing interest in joining the municipal body.

“Not all the periphery villages have applied, but for those that have, the corporation will carry out a detailed feasibility study on infrastructure needs and costs. If the study is positive, we will forward the proposal to the state government,” Rana said.

Block-level video recordings of gram sabha resolutions from three blocks have been filed with the commissioner’s office as part of the documentation.

Local Concerns And Support

The proposal has drawn mixed reactions from residents. Some villagers voiced apprehension about higher municipal taxes and loss of direct access to elected panchayat officials. A resident of Girijaput said the village currently benefits from easier recourse to the sarpanch and lower taxes under the panchayat system.

“We have roads and local access now; under BMC, requests may take longer,” he said.

Conversely, Bhubaneswar Ekamra MLA Babu Singh argued the merger would improve essential services. “Inclusion will expedite delivery of drainage, sewerage and drinking-water infrastructure that are often delayed under gram panchayat management,” said Babu Singh.

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Administrative Rezoning And Planning

Separately, BMC has proposed increasing its administrative zones from three to six to manage the enlarged area. The corporation’s submission recommends carving out a New City zone and a Town Planning zone.

Officials indicated the northern zone will be reorganised along the Jayadev Vihar–Nandankanan corridor, while Tamando, Dhauli and Raghunathpur areas may form a separate zone.

Process Timeline And Next Steps

The Housing and Urban Development Department has been briefed, and the gram sabha resolutions and video reports have been forwarded to the Khordha district administration for concurrence.

If the department issues a clearance following the feasibility study, BMC will transmit a formal proposal to the state government for approval. No final boundary modification will be implemented until statutory approvals and administrative notifications are issued.

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BMC officials said this exercise is the first substantial boundary review in Bhubaneswar’s planning history in more than seven decades and is driven by sustained population growth and urban sprawl.