Urban slum dwellers in Odisha to get land rights

Bhubaneswar: In a big breather to the landless slum dwellers in urban areas, the Odisha Cabinet today cleared promulgation of two ordinances for assigning land rights or property rights for re-development, rehabilitation and upgradation of slums.

"We have taken a historic decision today to grant land rights to the slum dwellers living in municipal councils and Notified Area Councils of the State and to grant property rights to those living in Municipal Corporation areas," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told media after today’s Cabinet meeting.

As per the decision taken in the Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, 600 square feet land would be provided to identified slum residents under NAC and 600 square feet in case of municipality.

The meeting also clarified that the land will solely be used for construction of houses. Further, it can neither be sold out nor exchanged. However, the allotted land can only be mortgaged in bank for loan.

"The urban poor in slums will get land rights for residential use, that are inheritable, mortgageable and non-transferable," the Chief Minister added.

The Cabinet also made arrangements to provide land and not land rights to slum residents under municipal corporations.

Under the Odisha Land Rights to Slum Dwellers Ordinance-2017, land rights shall be settled with landless slum dwellers in municipalities and NACs by the government.

While land up to 30 square metres shall be settled free of cost, land above 30 square metres, subject to a maximum limit of 60 square metres in NACs and 40 square metres in municipal council areas, shall be settled at a percentage of the benchmark value of the land.

A slum redevelopment and rehabilitation committee will be constituted at the urban local body level headed by the Commissioner at the corporation and Collector at the district-level to grant the certificate of property rights.

BJP on the other hand accused the State government of coming up with decision keeping in view the upcoming upcoming civic body polls.

"The Government should also submit a list on who are the beneficiaries to be benefited," said BJP general secretary Bhrugu Buxipatra.