Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 22: The state government will construct 50,000 houses in eight mineral bearing districts across the state, according to a decision taken at the meeting of the board of directors of Orissa Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC) presided over by Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi here at the secretariat Wednesday.
These would be spread over 543 villages of 29 blocks in the eight mineral bearing districts – Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Koraput, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh. The projects will be executed by the panchayati raj (PR) department.
Kuchha houses will be converted into pucca houses in all villages adjacent to mining areas and piped water supply will be provided to these villages, according to the decision taken. Besides, massive plantation activities would be taken up in and around these villages.
The mode of utilisation of the Mineral Bearing Areas Development Fund was also discussed.
The government would provide `1,20,000 for the construction of a pucca house in the plains, while `1,25,000 would be provided to each beneficiary in other areas, PR department secretary DK Singh said.
Tenders have been floated for the execution of water supply projects in 523 projects at a cost of `243crore, rural development secretary Madhusudan Padhi said.
The Chief Secretary has asked the officials of the various departments to complete the tendering process by the end of July. Padhi also instructed officials concerned to distribute four decimal of land to landless people in those areas under the Vasundhara scheme. He also said that houses should be constructed for them on priority basis.
The board also decided to provide long-term training to 200 SC and ST students at an investment of `1.46 lakh per student. The corporation would bear 70 per cent of the total cost of this venture, while the ST and SC development department would bear the rest, sources said.
OMBADC general manager Subash Chandra Swain said the corporation has so far provided to departments concerned `150 crore for the construction of houses, `50 crore for water supply and `20 crore for farm-forestry to concern department.
The corporation was constituted in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court in line with the recommendations of Central Empowered Committee. About 50 per cent of NPV collected from mining leases would be utilised through this corporation for basic developmental activities in identified villages.
