The Housing and Urban Development Department of Odisha has officially released a revised schedule for the ward delimitation and seat reservation processes ahead of the upcoming general elections to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), including Municipalities, Notified Area Councils (NACs), and Municipal Corporations.
The updated timeline, which modifies previous directives, has been communicated to all District Collectors across the state, with the exception of the District Collector of Boudh.
Timeline for Municipalities and NACs
For Municipalities and NACs, the revised step-by-step process will proceed as follows:
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Draft Notification: District Collectors will publish the draft notification on ward delimitation and seat reservation on September 24, 2026, opening the window for public objections and suggestions.
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Objection Deadline: Citizens can submit feedback and grievances until October 3, 2026.
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Preliminary Notification: Collectors will issue the preliminary notification on October 7, 2026.
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Appeals Window: Appeals against the preliminary notification can be filed before the Housing and Urban Development Department from October 7 to October 21, 2026.
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Submission of Recommendations: Collectors must forward all received appeals along with their comments to the Office of the Director of Municipal Administration by October 22, 2026.
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Appellate Hearings: The State Government will review and resolve the appeals between October 26 and October 28, 2026.
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Final Notification: District Collectors will publish the final notification on ward redetermination and seat reservation on October 31, 2026.
Special Framework for Major Municipal Corporations
A separate timeline has been instituted for four major Municipal Corporations: Bhubaneswar, Kataka, Berhampur, and Raurkela.
The respective Municipal Corporations must submit their ward boundary proposals, resolution copies, and mapped layouts (via Form-I and Form-II) to the Department by September 24, 2026.
The Department will subsequently issue draft notifications for these four corporations on October 5, 2026, allowing public objections and suggestions through October 14, 2026.
The Housing and Urban Development Department has urged all District Collectors and Municipal Commissioners to strictly adhere to the revised schedules to ensure a smooth administrative transition ahead of polling.
