Bhubaneswar, July 24: No new blocks have been created in Odisha during the last 40 years despite rapid population growth in the state.
Odisha had 124 blocks in 1958 that rose to 214 in 1961 with 1.75 crore population of the state. The state government further created new blocks in 1963 and the number rose to 304. Another 10 blocks were created for the last time in 1984 and since then Odisha has 314 blocks.
However, no government took any initiative to create new blocks for better administrative service to citizens while the population has crossed 4.63 crore now.
Out of the 314 blocks, 60 need bifurcation as people have to travel over 40 to 50 km for any work at block office and the administration failing to reach at people at right time for basic services.
People of Borigumma and Dasmantpur blocks in Koraput district face difficulty to travel long for any work at block office. Similarly, Mohana block of tribal-dominated Gajapati district has 39 panchayats.
Lakhanpur of Jharsuguda district is another large block in the state with 33 panchayats. Bhogarai block in Balasore district, Barchana block in Jajpur district are another two large blocks in coastal Odisha.
The state government created over 500 new panchayats in 2017, but no initiative has been taken for reformation of blocks for the last four decades.
