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Bhubaneswar, Jan 12: The state government has decided to scale up the implementation of Land Rights to Slum Dwellers Act 2017 in all districts. Housing and Urban Development Secretary G Mathivathanan Friday asked collectors to initiate steps for the successful implementation of the Act.
The project was piloted in Ganjam district and will now be extended to all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of the state. The department is to now hold a series of training programmes from January 29 to February 1 for executive officers, tahsildars, planners and representative of select NGOs. The two-day training programme will include classes, field visits and debriefing, officials said.
The survey for identification of beneficiaries will be conducted in the format adopted by Ganjam administration and land rights will be provided to beneficiaries for area under actual occupancy. That means only built-up area of dwellings will be taken into consideration, and not the surrounding area used by the households for day-to-day needs, officials said.
In the case of slums that require relocation, survey by drones would be conducted to freeze the existing layout and spatial pattern. For proper coordination, WhatsApp groups will be formed with the ULBs and district officials, officials said.
The government has also asked ULBs to constitute an ‘Urban Poor Welfare Fund’ for the implementation of the Act. The revenue collected is to be utilised for slum redevelopment. Earlier, to provide land rights to slum dwellers on land classified as ‘Jalasaya Kisam’, the state had decided to change the land classification.
The implementation of the Act has already started in Chatrapur, Khallikote, Polsara, Gopalpur, Chikiti, Kabisuryanagar, Hinjlicut Notified Area Councils of Ganjam district and Konark in Puri district. Under the Act, beneficiaries in NACs will get 600 square feet land each while their counterparts in municipalities to get 450 square feet land. 6