Bhubaneswar, 18 September (H.S.): The Odisha Government’s Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Department has issued a revised schedule for the delimitation of wards and reservation of seats ahead of the upcoming general elections to municipalities, Notified Area Councils (NACs) and municipal corporations across the State.

The revised schedule partially modifies the earlier programme issued by the department. The revised timeline has been communicated to all concerned district Collectors, except Boudh district.

According to the revised schedule, draft notifications relating to ward delimitation and seat reservation will be published by the concerned district Collectors on September 24, 2026, inviting objections and suggestions from the public. The last date for submitting objections and suggestions has been fixed as October 3.

Following this, provisional notifications on ward delimitation and seat reservation will be published on October 7. Appeals against the provisional notifications can be filed before the H&UD Department between October 7 and October 21.

The concerned district Collectors will forward the appeals, along with their recommendations and comments, to the Director of Municipal Administration by October 22 through special messengers. The State Government, acting as the appellate authority, will hear the appeals and take final decisions between October 26 and 28.

The final notifications on ward delimitation and seat reservation will be published by the concerned district Collectors on October 31, 2026. Copies of the final notifications will subsequently be provided to the State Election Commission, the State Government and the respective municipalities and NACs.

A separate revised timeline has also been prescribed for ward division and seat reservation in the four municipal corporations of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur and Rourkela.

By September 24, the respective municipal corporations are required to submit details relating to ward division and seat reservation to the H&UD Department in the prescribed Forms 1 and 2, along with sketch maps indicating ward boundaries and resolutions adopted by the respective municipal corporations.

For the four municipal corporations, the State Government will publish draft notifications on the proposed ward delimitation and seat reservation on October 5 and invite objections and suggestions from the public. The last date for submission of objections and suggestions has been fixed as October 14, 2026.

The H&UD Department has directed the Municipal Commissioners of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur and Rourkela municipal corporations to submit all required information and documents within the stipulated deadlines.

The revised schedule requires all concerned district Collectors and Municipal Commissioners to complete the processes relating to ward delimitation and seat reservation within the prescribed time frame.

The exercise forms part of the preparatory process for general elections to Odisha’s Urban Local Bodies. The State Election Commission’s municipal election procedures provide for public objections to draft delimitation and reservation proposals, followed by provisional notification and an appeal process before finalisation.

The H&UD Department has instructed the concerned authorities to ensure that all stages of the delimitation and reservation exercise are completed smoothly and within the revised deadlines.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda