Bhubaneswar, August 11: The Odisha government will provide land to families who lose their property due to natural calamities like floods that alter river courses, Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari announced on Sunday.
Pujari said district collectors will soon be asked to submit reports identifying the affected families. The issue, he noted, has been a long-standing one in regions such as Niali and Baramba, where recurrent floods since 1982 have caused rivers to shift course, submerging agricultural land and rendering many landless.
“The government has decided to allot land to those who lose theirs to such disasters,” he said, adding that the final decision will follow the collectors’ reports.
The minister also instructed officials to expedite resolution of pending land settlement disputes, some of which span generations. “It is often the case that a son is fighting a case initiated by his father. All such disputes should be settled by October,” he directed.
In addition, Pujari said the department is considering increasing the number of revenue courts to accelerate grievance redressal.
