THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026

The Housing and Urban Development Department has issued a revised schedule for completing the ward delimitation and seat reservation processes ahead of the general elections to Municipalities, Notified Area Councils (NACs) and Municipal Corporations in Odisha.

The revised timeline, which incorporates partial modifications to the schedule issued earlier, has been communicated to all concerned District Collectors, except the District Collector, Boudh.

Under the revised schedule, draft notifications on 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 filing objections and suggestions has been fixed as October 3.

The preliminary notification on ward delimitation and seat reservation will subsequently be published on October 7. Appeals against the preliminary notification can be filed before the Housing and Urban Development Department between October 7 and October 21.

The concerned District Collectors will forward the appeals received, along with their recommendations or comments, to the Office of the Director of Municipal Administration through a special messenger by October 22.

The State Government, acting as the appellate authority, will hear the appeals and take final decisions between October 26 and October 28.

The final notification on ward boundary redetermination and seat reservation will be published by the concerned District Collectors on October 31, 2026. The requisite number of copies of the final notification will also be furnished to the State Election Commission, the State Government and the concerned Municipality or NAC.

A separate revised timeline has also been prescribed for ward delimitation and seat reservation in the Municipal Corporations of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur and Rourkela.

The four Municipal Corporations have been asked to submit information relating to ward delimitation and seat reservation to the Housing and Urban Development Department by September 24, 2026, in the prescribed Form-I and Form-II. The submissions will have to include sketch maps indicating ward boundaries and the resolution of the concerned Municipal Corporation.

For Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur and Rourkela Municipal Corporations, the Department will publish the draft notification on the proposed redetermination of ward boundaries and seat reservation on October 5, inviting objections and suggestions from the public. The deadline for submission of objections and suggestions has been fixed as October 14.

The Department has directed the Municipal Commissioners of the four Municipal Corporations to furnish all requisite information and documents within the stipulated timelines.

In accordance with the revised schedule, the Housing and Urban Development Department has instructed all concerned District Collectors and Municipal Commissioners to ensure that the processes relating to ward delimitation and seat reservation are completed smoothly, systematically and within the prescribed timelines.