Odisha directs district Collectors to allot homes to landless families under PM housing schemes

The Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department of the Odisha government has issued a stringent directive to all District Collectors, warning that delays in providing pucca houses to eligible landless families will not be tolerated.

The order, issued on Friday, follows reports that hundreds of rural households cleared for housing assistance under flagship schemes are still awaiting land allocation.

Immediate Allotment Ordered

In its latest communication, the department instructed that all Rural Housing (RH) beneficiaries identified as landless must be provided house-sites on priority. Officials were reminded that landless households are entitled to first preference under the existing guidelines.

Explaining the seriousness, the department wrote that it is “a matter of concern” that a significant number of beneficiaries have not yet received land parcels needed for the construction of sanctioned houses.

According to district reports cited in the letter, 871 beneficiaries under PMAY-G and 50 beneficiaries under PM-JANMAN are still awaiting allotment.

Districts With Highest Pendency

Sources cited officials who informed that Kendrapada district accounts for the highest pending cases, with 271 landless families yet to receive land under PMAY-G. Ganjam follows with 171 families awaiting allotment. The letter directed that districts must act within stipulated timelines to complete the process.

Monthly Joint Meetings Made Mandatory

To accelerate the resolution of land-related bottlenecks, the department reiterated an earlier instruction requiring each district to hold a joint meeting on the first Saturday of every month involving the BDO and the concerned Tahsildar. These meetings are to specifically address landless RH cases and remove procedural delays.

A senior official clarified in the letter that these meetings are necessary because allotment delays directly affect the timeline for issuing housing sanctions and beginning construction.

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Large Share of Households Identified as Landless

The Awaas+ 2024 survey data, also referenced in the directive, recorded 37.89 lakh households across the state. Of these, 2.01 lakh households were categorised as landless.

The department noted in writing that while sanctioning of new houses will begin only after instructions from the Ministry of Rural Development, allocation of house-sites to eligible landless families must start in advance based on the final survey list.