Amidst BJP protest, CM hands over land rights to landless in Puri

Puri: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today distributed land rights to landless slum dwellers under the ‘Jaga Mission’ in Puri today.

Official sources said the Odisha government has targeted to provide property rights to around 18 lakh urban slum dwellers residing in Municipal Corporation and NAC areas in the State.

“The Jaga Mission has been launched from the land of Lord Jagannath and the effort of the State government is to bring smiles on the faces of poor people,” said Patnaik.

Earlier, CM Naveen Patnaik’s Puri visit was opposed by BJP activists who staged a protest by showing black flags. A rally was also organised by the saffron party from VIP Road to Stadium Chhak where the activists were stopped by local police.

BJP leaders alleged that Odisha government has failed to provide record of rights to the permanent residents of Puri.

“In the name of Jagannath land, several people have failed to get the land registered in their names,” said a BJP leader.

Addressing a presser, BJP leader Golak Mohapatra raised doubts over the number of beneficiaries which allegedly rose from 10 lakh in August to a whopping 18 lakh people by November 2018.

“As per the first advertisement issued in August and September, government had claimed to provide land rights to 10 lakh slum dwellers. But the number increased to 18 lakh by November,” alleged Mohapatra.

“Only landless people will be provided with land pattas in urban areas,” said Urban Development Minister Niranjan Pujari.