The has decided to set up a high-level committee to start the process for the formation of a separate Padampur district as promised by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during the campaign for the recent bypoll.
Former Law minister in the Biju Patnaik cabinet Narasingh Mishra said there is no need for taking the matter to the Assembly or form a District Reorganisation Commission. The new district can be announced simply by an executive order as was done by Biju Patnaik to increase the number of districts in the state from 13 to 30.
As the chief minister has said that the new Padampur district will be announced before 2023-end, the state government will no doubt form a committee to consider several district demands. In an election year, it will also benefit the ruling BJD to accede to the district demands of some other regions along with Padampur to keep a check on the Opposition.
There are demands for new districts from Rourkela in Sundargarh, Titlagarh in Balangir, Berhampur in Ganjam, Rairangpur in Mayurbhanj, Anandpur in Keonjhar, Gunupur in Rayagada, Talcher in Angul, Jaleswar and Soro in Balasore, Banki in Cuttack, Reamal tehsil in Deogarh, Dasapalla in Nayagarh and Bhubaneswar in Khurda. The Padampur district will have to be carved out from the Bargarh district.