Bhubaneswar: Even as Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) moves ahead with preparations for a new GIS-based Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), integrating the city’s existing and expanded planning areas, the final notification of the long-pending extended CDP vision 2040 is awaited, creating uncertainty over the future development of hundreds of rapidly urbanising villages.The delay has come under scrutiny because the statutory process for the extended CDP vision, including surveys, public consultations, scrutiny of objections, map revisions and departmental clearances, has already been completed. Yet the final gazette notification, which would give the plan legal force, has not been issued.The issue assumes significance at a time when Bhubaneswar is undergoing unprecedented spatial expansion. Originally planned for a population of around 40,000, the city today houses more than 1.1 million people and continues to grow as a regional hub for education, tourism, healthcare and technology-driven investments.According to planning documents, the extended CDP-2040 covers an additional 364 villages spread over 691 sqkm beyond the existing planning area of 205 villages covering 419 sqkm. The plan was conceived to regulate land use, transportation, housing, environmental conservation and infrastructure creation in these fast-growing peripheral areas.Urban planners point out that without final notification, the plan cannot be enforced, leaving authorities, investors and residents without a definitive blueprint for future growth.“After the draft notification in 2024, a part notification was issued in 2025. The notification itself received nearly a thousand objections and suggestions. Currently, the matter is with the board of enquiry. The final notification will be issued soon after their recommendation,” said Md Qaisar Iqbal Ali, planning member, BDA.Notably, the draft CDP was first published in the Odisha Gazette on March 2, 2024, inviting objections and suggestions from the public. Following the updating of land records, a fresh notification covering 35 villages was issued in Oct 2025, and another round of consultations was carried out. Public hearings were subsequently held.Experts said the notification has become even more critical now because BDA has already initiated work on a fresh GIS-based master plan that seeks to integrate the existing CDP with the extended planning area under a unified framework till 2040. The new plan proposes transit-oriented development, climate-resilient infrastructure, mixed-use zones, affordable housing strategies, flood mitigation measures and sustainable tourism infrastructure.“Notification of the extended CDP should be the immediate priority before embarking on another planning exercise. The BDA contended that years of surveys, consultations and technical work cannot translate into development outcomes unless the plan is formally brought into force,” urban planner Dipu Nanda said.
