Congress and BJD members on Friday demanded in the State Assembly that norms for converting hamlets into revenue villages be simplified as many deserving hamlets have been deprived of developmental works.
The members made the demand during a discussion on a related question.
Stating that lands for creating graveyards, schools and Gochar and 500-metre distance from an existing revenue village are some of the norms, Revenue Minister Sudam Marndi said the existing five per cent norm for Gochar has been lessened to three perscent and there is a proposals to lessen 10 per cent space required for other development activities.
Odisha has now a total of 51,701 villages and district Collectors have identified 5,015 hamlets for upgradation to revenue villages. Out of 5,015 identified hamlets, 579 proposals have been approved and 434 proposals rejected and the rest are pending at district level, informed the Minister to a question of BJD MLA Aswini Kumar Patra and a host of other members belonging to the ruling party and the Congress.
Meanwhile, Congress Legislature Party Leader Narasingha Mishra wanted to know if the Government will consider setting up Mahatma Gandhi statues in new revenue villages to spread his messages.
“Now, brochures have been printed and distributed to school students and people informing that Gandhi had died in an accident. When Gandhi had been shot dead and the killer Godse has been hanged, a conspiracy has been hatched to provide wrong information to students about his death. In view of this, will the Minister consider installing Mahatma Gandhi statues in revenue villages,” wanted to know Mishra.
To this, the Minister said, “Revenue Department doesn’t install statures; it is the work of Culture Department.”s
Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro directed Minister Marndi to submit norms for converting hamlets to revenue villagers to all MLAs so that they would be able to make a list of hamlets needing upgradation.