Odisha to Set Up Southern Odisha Development Council

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government has decided to establish the Southern Odisha Development Council (SODC) to drive inclusive development in the southern districts of the state.

The decision was made during the first meeting of the task force, which was formed by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in December 2024. The meeting focused on gathering inputs from various stakeholders regarding the structure and jurisdiction of the proposed council.

The SODC will comprise seven districts – Koraput, Malkangiri, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada, and Nabarangpur. All blocks within these districts will fall under the council’s purview, aiming to accelerate development in the region.

A statutory committee will be formed to facilitate the establishment of the council. Speaking after the meeting, School and Mass Education Minister Nityanand Gond, who chairs the SODC task force, said, “The inclusion of all blocks from these seven districts will ensure the holistic development of southern Odisha. There is also a need to form a statutory committee, and stakeholders not currently part of the task force will be involved in the next phase.”

The formation of the 13-member task force was announced by Chief Minister Majhi on December 2, 2024, with a mandate to finalize the roadmap and operational framework for the SODC. The Chief Minister instructed the panel to begin work immediately and submit a detailed report within 30 days.

The task force will continue consultations with stakeholders to gather opinions on the council’s structure, objectives, and jurisdiction, ensuring broad-based participation in the development process.