Bhubaneswar, September 20: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has announced plans to gherao the Odisha Assembly on September 23 to protest against the alleged systematic erosion of powers granted to people’s representatives under the Panchayati Raj system.

At a press conference, senior BJD leaders, including Debi Prasad Mishra, Pramila Mallik, and Arun Sahoo, accused the state government of diminishing the authority of grassroots elected representatives, which they argue undermines the decentralisation process.

The leaders stated that these actions threaten the democratic values at the core of the Panchayati Raj system, which was established to empower local self-governance. They further emphasized that the moves are weakening the democratic structure and the spirit of local empowerment.

A large number of Zilla Parishad chairpersons, block chairpersons, sarpanchs, and ward members from across Odisha are expected to participate in the protest.