The Odisha Government has issued a draft notification proposing the reservation of Chairperson posts in 35 Municipalities and Notified Area Councils (NACs) across the state, marking a key step towards the upcoming Urban Local Body (ULB) elections.
The Housing and Urban Development Department has invited objections and suggestions from the public within 15 days of the notification’s publication in the Odisha Gazette before finalising the reservation list.
The draft notification has been issued under Section 47(3) and (4) of the Odisha Municipal Act, 1950, read with Rule 67(5) of the Odisha Municipal (Delimitation of Wards, Reservation of Seats and Conduct of Election) Rules, 1994.
Chairperson Posts Reserved for SC Women
The draft proposes reserving the offices of Chairpersons in the following 11 NACs for Scheduled Caste (SC) women:
- Patrapur
- Salepur
- Bissamcuttack
- Jagannathprasad
- Tihidi
- Sohela
- Birmaharajpur
- Narasinghpur
- Narla
- Simulia
- Badamba
Chairperson Posts Reserved for SC Category
The Chairperson posts in the following urban local bodies have been proposed to be reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) category:
- Loisingha
- Dhusuri
- Palalahada
- Jashipur
- Basta
- Tangi
- Chatrapur Municipality
Reservation for ST Women and ST Category
The Chairperson posts in the following local bodies have been proposed for Scheduled Tribe (ST) women:
- Chitrada
- Bangriposi
- Kaptipada
- Betanati
- Bamra
- Rengali
Meanwhile, the Chairperson posts in the following urban local bodies have been proposed for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category:
- Borigumma
- Rasagobindapur
- Gondia
- Jayapatana
Posts Reserved for Women and Unreserved Category
The draft notification proposes reserving the Chairperson posts in the following urban local bodies for women, irrespective of caste:
- Chandikhol NAC
- Boudhagada Municipality
- Asika Municipality
- Bhanjanagar Municipality
Meanwhile, the Chairperson posts in Polasara Municipality and Odagaon NAC have been kept unreserved, allowing candidates from any eligible category to contest.
Public Invited to Submit Suggestions
The State Government has invited citizens and stakeholders to submit objections or suggestions to the Director, Municipal Administration, within 15 days from the publication of the notification in the Odisha Gazette.
Officials said all representations received within the stipulated period will be examined before the government issues the final notification.
The reservation of Chairperson posts is a mandatory statutory exercise conducted before every Urban Local Body election to ensure equitable representation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women in urban governance. The reservation is determined through a rotational system prescribed under the Odisha Municipal Act and the relevant election rules.
The final reservation list is expected to be notified after the government reviews public feedback, paving the way for the long-awaited ULB elections in Odisha.
