The State Government on Monday decided to expedite implementation of the decision to reserve 20 per cent land in residential areas of urban centres for poor people. Besides, it has also been decided to set up transit houses and rental housing scheme for the poor classes in towns.
These decisions were taken at a meeting of the steering committee for implementation of Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) and slum rehabilitation and development scheme at the secretariat presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Sources said the Centre has approved the State Government’s proposal to include Jajpur town under the RAY.
Though the State Government had proposed inclusion of Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Balasore and Jeypore in RAY, the Centre had cleared the proposal for Jajpur town only.
The Centre has also approved pilot projects on slum development for Bhubaneswar’s Patharbandh, Mahisakhal and Rangamatia slums and several pockets in Cuttack and Jajpur. However, several other proposals relating to slum development in Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Puri and Rourkela are pending with the Centre. RAY is being implemented in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Puri, Berhampur and Rourkela. Sources said implementation of the project is progressing satisfactorily in five urban centres, except Sambalpur.
Urban Development Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, BJP MPs Prasanna Patsani and Sidhant Mohapatra, three MLAs from Bhubaneswar __ Bijoy Mohanty, Ashok Panda and Bhagirathi Badjena, BJD MLAs Debasis Samantray, Kalindi Charan Behera, Cuttack mayor Soumendra Ghose and senior officials attended the meeting.