Bhubaneswar, January 21: The Odisha government is set to conduct panchayat elections within the mandated timeline, with preparations already in progress, announced Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik on Wednesday. He confirmed that the process has already begun, and the final data will be provided once the new census is completed.

Minister Naik clarified that while the restructuring of panchayats is not urgently required, the process is currently paused. The formal resumption of panchayat reorganization and delimitation will occur after the completion of the census. He also mentioned that two departmental meetings have been held regarding the matter.

The Panchayati Raj Department is receiving numerous petitions and proposals from local representatives, who have submitted suggestions about the boundaries of their respective areas. All these proposals and objections will be carefully examined during the restructuring process, the Minister assured.

“We’ve discussed the delimitation of panchayats and blocks twice, and the proposal was supposed to be submitted to the Chief Minister. However, with the commencement of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) after the new census, we have decided to temporarily suspend the delimitation process,” the Minister stated.

He further emphasized, “People are submitting their suggestions and objections in writing. We will ensure these are considered during the delimitation process.”

Earlier, Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari had noted that preparatory work for the delimitation of blocks, tehsils, and panchayats was underway, with plans to finalize all necessary restructuring, including creating new administrative units and splitting large blocks, before the census begins.