Bhubaneswar, Dec 31 (IANS) The Odisha government has officially upgraded Puri Municipality to the status of Puri Municipal Corporation with effect from Wednesday.

The Housing & Urban Development Department has released a formal notification in this regard, said the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on Wednesday.

The coastal city of Puri, home to the world-renowned Jagannath Temple, is considered one of India’s most prominent pilgrimage destinations, witnessing an influx of thousands of devotees and tourists daily from across the country and abroad.

To ensure improved civic amenities and enhanced infrastructure for residents, devotees, and visitors, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had announced the proposal to grant Municipal Corporation status to Puri on July 3.

The demand for this upgrade had been a long-pending request of the residents of Puri. The issuance of the notification upgrading Puri Municipality to a Municipal Corporation has sparked widespread joy and celebration among the people of Puri and the surrounding areas.

As per the CMO, the new corporation status will pave the way for large-scale infrastructural development, better civic services, and the transformation of Puri into an expanded metropolitan region.

The proposed Puri Municipal Corporation will be created by including the city and the surrounding Gram Panchayats. The state government had earlier noted that around 7-8 Gram Panchayats from the Puri Sadar and Brahmagiri blocks will be integrated into the municipal corporation.

Meanwhile, along with Puri, four other towns across the state have been declared Notified Area Councils (NACs). These include Loisingha in Balangir district, Chandikhole in Jajpur district, Jashipur in Mayurbhanj district, and Basta in Balasore district.

Additionally, the jurisdiction of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation has been expanded, as notified. This expansion was earlier announced by the Chief Minister during the Swayat Shasan Divas (Self-Governance Day) celebrations on August 31.

–IANS

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