Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday granted land ownership certificates to more than 65,000 slum dwellers in the State’s five municipal corporation areas of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Brahmapur, Sambalpur and Rourkela at an event held at the Kalinga Stadium here.
Addressing the gathering, Patnaik said the beneficiaries would additionally receive financial aid for constructing their houses. The next phase of certificate distribution is slated for October this year.
The CM affirmed that this scheme would continue until all poor families in these urban areas secure their land ownership.
It is noteworthy that the Jaga Mission programme, initiated in 2018, has been pivotal in providing land rights to impoverished families dwelling in urban slums. To date, over 2,40,000 families in various cities in the State have been given land ownership rights.
Furthermore, 40,000 families have been granted support for house construction. With the objective of eradicating slums from Odisha’s landscape, these settlements are undergoing comprehensive transformations into Biju Model Colonies with fundamental amenities. The tally stands at 1,010 settlements in 68 urban regions that have undergone this transformation.