The Housing and Urban Development Department of Odisha has formulated a critical and time-sensitive action plan to finalize the process of ward delimitation and reservation of seats across multiple urban local bodies. This comprehensive initiative specifically targets the newly upgraded Puri Municipal Corporation, the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation, twenty-eight recently constituted Notified Area Councils (NACs), and several other municipalities, with a strict completion deadline set for March 2026.
Legal Hurdles Cleared for Sambalpur
Official government communications have revealed that the delimitation exercise in Sambalpur was previously stalled due to a High Court stay order issued back in 2015. This significant legal impediment was finally vacated in September 2025, paving the way for renewed administrative action. Following this clearance, the State Election Commission (SEC) formally directed the state government to expedite the delimitation and reservation procedures. This acceleration is deemed essential to initiate the statutory groundwork required for conducting general elections to these urban bodies.
Strict Timelines and Procedural Steps
According to the established timeline, the municipal corporations of Sambalpur and Puri have been instructed to submit their detailed proposals for ward division and seat reservation. These submissions must be made in the prescribed formats by February 11, 2026, and must be accompanied by necessary sketch maps and formal resolutions passed by the respective bodies.
The subsequent phase involves public participation. Draft notifications inviting objections and suggestions from citizens are scheduled for issuance on February 21, 2026. The authorities have set March 2, 2026, as the final date for receiving any public feedback on these proposals. The entire process is mandated to conclude with the issuance of final notifications on ward delimitation and reservation for all the new NACs and municipalities by March 31, 2026.
Constitutional Mandate and Election Deadline
The State Election Commission has reiterated a crucial constitutional requirement. Elections to newly created urban local bodies must be conducted within a period of six months from their official notification. This stipulation effectively sets June 2026 as the absolute outer limit for holding these elections. The SEC has also reminded the state government of its obligations under Articles 243-U and 243-ZA of the Constitution of India, which mandate the timely conduct of elections before the expiry of the terms of existing urban local bodies, ensuring democratic continuity.
Wide Geographic Coverage and Specific Cases
This extensive delimitation exercise encompasses a broad swath of Odisha, covering twenty-eight newly created NACs and seven municipalities spread across numerous districts. The affected districts include Angul, Balangir, Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Khurda, Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Rayagada, Sambalpur, and Subarnapur.
The elevation of Puri from a municipality to a municipal corporation status has inherently necessitated a fresh and complete delimitation and reservation process for its wards. Meanwhile, pending issues persist in other major urban corporations. The Rourkela Municipal Corporation awaits the resolution of ongoing litigation concerning three of its wards. Additionally, the municipal corporations of Bhubaneswar and Berhampur require administrative reorganization following the recent expansion of their jurisdictional boundaries.
Paving the Way for Democratic Exercises
The successful completion of this delimitation and reservation process is a foundational step. It is expected to directly enable the subsequent preparation of accurate electoral rolls, the systematic identification of polling stations, and the eventual conduct of general elections to urban local bodies across the state of Odisha. All these activities are planned to be executed within the constitutionally stipulated timeframe, ensuring smooth democratic governance at the urban level.
