Bhubaneswar: Marking a crucial step towards realising the vision for Greater Bhubaneswar, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) on Thursday approved a significant expansion of its jurisdiction by incorporating 143 new revenue villages.
The decision came during the BDA’s 150th meeting, which was presided over by housing and urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, who is also the authority chairperson.
The expansion, which will add 239.58 square kilometres of area into BDA’s current jurisdiction of 1,110 sqkm, aims to promote systematic urban growth and address the challenges of rapid urbanisation in the capital region. With this addition, the total number of villages under BDA increased from 569 to 712.
“This expansion is crucial for ensuring planned development and preventing unregulated growth in the greater capital region,” said Mahapatra. The development authority, established in 1983 with 116 revenue villages, witnessed several expansions over the years, including significant additions in 2002, 2003 and 2011.
Currently, BDA’s jurisdiction encompasses four urban local bodies such as Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), municipalities of Khurda and Jatni, and Pipili Notified Area Council (NAC), along with surrounding gram panchayat areas.
Officials said the expansion aligns with major infrastructure initiatives planned for the region in the near future. “We have already planned for a tri-city comprising areas of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri. This inclusion today will help in this plan,” the minister added.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had earlier proposed the Capital Region Ring Road (CRRR) to address growing traffic concerns and enhance regional connectivity. Additionally, the works department planned an outer ring road to facilitate sustainable urban growth.
BDA officials confirmed that the authority will assist in land acquisition for these projects through its town planning scheme. “A detailed assessment of the CRRR alignment and proposed ring roads highlighted the need for additional land under BDA’s jurisdiction to effectively regulate urban development,” BDA vice-chairman N Thirumala Naik said.
Sources said the proposal will now be forwarded to the state govt for consideration under Section 3 of the ODA Act. Once approved, this expansion is expected to enable more comprehensive urban planning and infrastructure development in the greater Bhubaneswar region.
This move represents one of the largest jurisdictional expansions in BDA’s history and is seen as a crucial step toward managing the capital region’s growing urbanisation needs while ensuring systematic development of newly incorporated areas.