Bhubaneswar, 18th Aug 2025: The three-tier panchayat elections in Odisha are scheduled for 2027, but panchayat reorganization will be carried out before the polls, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Supply Minister Rabin Narayan Nayak said.
On Tuesday, Governor Dr. Raghubar Das reviewed the functioning of the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Supply Department. He stressed that the benefits of central and state government schemes must reach every beneficiary and that the panchayat system should become closer to the people. Decentralization, he said, would make administration more people-centric. He advised the department to consider increasing the number of gram panchayats in the state.
Department Moves after Governor’s Advice
Following this advice, Minister Nayak said that while some states in India have already recognized each village as an individual panchayat, it cannot yet be said whether Odisha will adopt that model. However, the department has decided to reorganize panchayats to ensure better public convenience and efficient delivery of central and state government schemes.
After panchayat reorganization is completed before 2027, the government will move towards block reorganization before the 2029 general elections. For this, a committee with representatives from different departments will be formed.
It is noteworthy that in 2016, the then state government had increased the number of panchayats. Before 2016, Odisha had 6,294 gram panchayats.
No responses yet