Bhubaneswar, Jul 4 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday said the civic body in Puri will be upgraded to a municipal corporation.

Speaking to reporters, Majhi said all the processes related to this will be started on July 5.

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"The government has decided to upgrade the Puri Municipality to a municipal corporation. Puri Mahanagara Nigam will be formed with areas in Puri town and the surrounding panchayats," he said.

The proposed Puri Municipal Corporation will have about seven to eight panchayats in Puri Sadar and Brahmagiri blocks, he added.

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Majhi said the BJP government was committed to making Puri the best religious and tourist destination in the country.

"The idea of a prosperous Odisha is impossible without the beautification and development of Puri town. Today's announcement is part of the government's vision for making a prosperous state," he said.

Noting that lakhs of tourists visit Puri every year, the CM said it is the duty of the government to provide basic facilities to them and the local people.

At present, there are five municipal corporations in Odisha -- Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Rourkela. Puri will be the sixth one, officials said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)