Patna, Dec 26 (IANS): As many as 103 new nagar panchayats and eight new municipal councils got the green light in Bihar on Saturday. The state cabinet during a meeting approved the formation of the new local bodies. Apart from this, five municipal councils were changed into corporations.

In the meeting chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the proposal to upgrade 32 nagar panchayats to municipal councils was also approved.

The meeting approved the proposal to convert Sasaram Municipal Council, and the Motihari, Bettiah, Samastipur and Madhubani councils into corporations.

The 103 city panchayats approved in the meeting include Punpan and Paliganj in Patna district and Harnaut, Sarmera, Rahui, Parwalpur, Giriyak, Asthawan, Ekangrasarai and Chandi in Nalanda district.

Of the 32 nagar panchayats to be converted to city councils, Rajgir Nagar Panchayat of Nalanda will now be converted into a city council, which will be converted into a Municipal Council, while Piro nagar panchayat in Bhojpur, Nokha nagar panchayat in Rohtas, Chakia nagar panchayat in east Champaran and Ramnagar nagar panchayat will now be changed to Municipal Councils.

Panchayat elections are proposed in the state next year for which the work on preparing a voters list is going on.