Bhubaneswar's 2040 Development Plan Awaits Notification as City Expands
Bhubaneswar, Odisha | September 28, 2026: Bhubaneswar’s expanding urban areas are facing uncertainty as the final notification of the extended Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) 2040 remains pending, despite the completion of surveys, public consultations and other statutory steps. The delay leaves hundreds of rapidly urbanising villages without a legally enforceable development blueprint, even as the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) prepares a new GIS-based planning framework.
The extended plan covers 364 additional villages across 691 square kilometres. Its notification is important for land-use regulation, housing, transport and infrastructure planning in areas experiencing growing development pressure.
Why the CDP 2040 Notification Matters
The extended CDP 2040 is intended to guide development beyond Bhubaneswar’s existing planning area. Although the plan has undergone surveys, public consultations, scrutiny of objections, map revisions and departmental clearances, the final gazette notification has not been issued.
Without that notification, the plan cannot be enforced. This leaves residents, property owners, developers and investors without a definitive statutory framework for future development in the extended planning area.
364 Villages Added to Bhubaneswar’s Planning Area
The extended CDP 2040 covers 364 villages spread across 691 square kilometres, in addition to the existing planning area of 205 villages covering 419 square kilometres.
The plan was designed to regulate land use, transportation, housing, environmental conservation and infrastructure development in the city’s growing peripheral areas.
The expansion is significant as Bhubaneswar has grown well beyond its original planned population of around 40,000. The city now has more than 1.1 million residents and continues to expand as a centre for education, tourism, healthcare and technology-related investment.
Public Consultations and Objections Have Been Completed
The draft CDP was first published in the Odisha Gazette on March 2, 2024, inviting objections and suggestions from the public. The notification process received nearly 1,000 objections and suggestions.
Following updates to land records, a fresh notification covering 35 villages was issued in October 2025, followed by another round of consultations and public hearings.
According to BDA planning member Md Qaisar Iqbal Ali, the matter is currently before the board of enquiry. He said the final notification would be issued after the board’s recommendation.
New GIS-Based Plan Adds Another Layer to Planning
While the extended CDP awaits notification, BDA has started preparing a new GIS-based Comprehensive Development Plan intended to integrate the existing and expanded planning areas under a unified framework up to 2040.
The proposed framework includes transit-oriented development, climate-resilient infrastructure, mixed-use zones, affordable housing strategies, flood mitigation and sustainable tourism infrastructure.
The new planning exercise is intended to align future urban growth, but the pending notification of the extended CDP remains a separate issue.
What the Delay Means for Property Owners and Developers
For landowners and developers in the newly included villages, the absence of a notified plan creates uncertainty about how future development will be regulated. The extended CDP is intended to provide a framework for land use and infrastructure, but it cannot serve as an enforceable blueprint until formally notified.
The uncertainty may also complicate long-term decisions involving housing, commercial development and land investment. Property owners should distinguish between proposed planning provisions and rules that have already received legal force.
Urban Expansion Raises the Stakes
Bhubaneswar’s rapid growth makes coordinated planning increasingly important. The extended CDP is intended to guide development across a much larger area, helping authorities plan transport links, housing, public infrastructure and environmental protection.
Urban planner Dipu Nanda has argued that notifying the extended plan should be an immediate priority before embarking on another planning exercise. The concern is that completed technical work and public consultations cannot deliver their intended development outcomes without formal notification.
What Happens Next
The extended CDP 2040 is awaiting the board of enquiry’s recommendation before the final gazette notification can be issued. BDA planning member Md Qaisar Iqbal Ali has said the notification is expected after that recommendation.
Until the plan is formally notified, the proposed framework remains unenforceable. For residents, landowners and developers in the expanded planning area, the notification will be a key milestone in understanding how future development is expected to proceed.