Overview

• Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the changes during Local Self-Governance Day, naming towns such as Baramba, Narasinghpur, Salipur, Chandikhole, Narla, Jaypatana and Tangi for new NACs, with Karanjia, Boudh, Bhanjanagar, Aska, Chhatrapur, Kabisuryanagar and Polasara set to become municipalities.
• Majhi directed urban bodies to ensure pothole-free roads and covered drains by April 2026 and asked for self-certification from each municipality, with assurances of government funding for repairs and new works.
• The government expanded the Sahayog programme to all urban areas and launched a 24x7 toll-free helpline, 1929 ‘Sahar Sathi,’ along with a dedicated call centre for grievances and queries.
• With recent draft notifications for additional NACs and an earlier move to elevate Puri to a municipal corporation, the state projects a total of 28 new NACs, seven municipalities and one municipal corporation once notifications are finalised.
• The BJD criticized the announcement as repackaged, citing prior approvals for Boudh, Karanjia, Aska and Chhatrapur in February 2024 and claiming several NACs overlap with its earlier list.