Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday announced the formation of the long-anticipated sixth State Finance Commission, appointing retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Arun Kumar Panda as its Chairman. The commission will play a crucial role in recommending the distribution of financial resources between the state and its local bodies.

According to the official notification, the commission includes an expert panel comprising Prof Asit Ranjan Mohanty from the Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB); Prof Amaresh Samantray from the Department of Economics at Pondicherry University; and Prof Bibhu Prasad Nayak from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Dr. Satya Priya Rath, Additional Secretary in the Finance Department, has been designated as the Member Secretary of the commission.

The notification further specifies that the Chairman and all members, including the Member Secretary, will hold office for a tenure of six months. The commission’s primary mandate is to evaluate the financial position of the Panchayati Raj institutions and Urban Local Bodies and provide recommendations on resource allocation and grants to strengthen local governance in Odisha.