Panchayati Raj Minister Pradip Amat said in the State Assembly on Tuesday that the Government has no plan for reorganisation of blocks as there is no census since 2011.
Members cutting across party lines raised concern over the non-reorganisation of block and panchayats as people face certain problems due to this.
Replying to a principal question of BJD MLA Prafulla Samal, the Minister informed that in 1963, the number of blocks was 304 in the State and it increased to 307 in 1977 and to 314 in 1984.
A committee was formed under the chairmanship of Justice KP Mohapatra to recommend to the Government on block reorganisation, but the panel was unable to submit its report, Amat said.
He further mentioned that the State Government can establish facility centres in far-off place from the block headquarters on the basis of distance of gram panchayats from block offices so that people can get PDS and NFSA items and old age, disability and widow pensions under the national social assistance schemes, etc.
Praffula Samal, Amar Prasad Satpathy and Ananta Das, all ruling BJD members, expressed concern over unwillingness of the Government for bifurcation of existing large-sized blocks. They cited the example of Bhogarai in Baleswar district having 50 GPs and Badachana in Jajpur district.
Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati wanted bifurcation of Jeypore, Dasamantpur and Borigumma blocks in Koraput district. He pointed out that people of a cluster of villages in Dasamqntpur block are forced to travel 150 km to come to the block headquarters.
BJD MLA Satya Narayan Pradhan proposed bifurcation of Ranpur, Odagaon and Nayagarh blocks.