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Monday, Aug 06, 2007
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Demand for new district gathers momentum

Staff Reporter

Bhanjanagar subdivision of Ganjam district is the largest one in the State

BERHAMPUR: There is a demand to carve out a new district in the State with the areas under Bhanjanagar subdivision of Ganjam district.

Bhanjanagar is the largest administrative and revenue subdivision in the State. It has eight blocks, five tehsils and Notified Area Councils (NAC) under it.

According to Nihar Pradhan of Bhanjanagar area, this subdivision is larger than many districts in the State. During the British era, an ICS officer was posted at Bhanjanagar due to large area of the subdivision. In 1992, the people of the subdivision also demanded establishment of a new district. It was the year when the existing 13 districts of the State were divided into 30 districts. But the Berhampur subdivision could not become a district though Gajapati district was carved out of Ganjam district.

Ganjam district still remains the largest district as per the population in Orissa. In the past, the local Bar Council of Bhanjanagar passed a resolution demanding that the subdivision be made a district for the benefit of people living in this area. Santosh Nayak, a lawyer of Bhanjanagar, said the local leaders of the area failed to put forward their demand for a district strongly in 1992.

According to him, the demand is gaining momentum as decentralisation of power is the norm of the day.

For revenue and administrative works, people of this area have to travel to the district headquarters located at a distance of 100 kilometres from Bhanjanagar. A sub-collector is posted at Bhanjanagar.

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