BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has asked the Collectors to conduct fresh survey on campaign mode to identify total number of homestead landless families in rural areas.
The list of beneficiaries will be prepared as per the eligibility criteria for allotment of homestead land under relevant provisions of Odisha Government Land Settlement Act and Rules and Odisha Prevention of Land Encroachment Act and Rules. In May, the Revenue and Disaster Management Department had invited applications from eligible homestead landless families though advertisements.
The Government has also asked the Collectors to purchase private land in districts where suitable Government land is not available for construction of houses.
A revenue department official said instructions have already been issued to Collectors in mineral bearing districts to purchase private land from District Mineral Foundation (DMF) fund for beneficiaries under Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana (Mining) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-G).
While 97,149 families have been identified so far, he said, requisite funds will be placed with the Collectors to purchase private land in rest of the districts after the fresh survey. “Once the survey is completed, a detailed guideline will be issued to districts for distribution of house sites to eligible beneficiaries. Sub-collectors and Additional District Magistrates (ADMs) will monitor the progress at a regular interval”, he added.
Earlier, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty had asked the districts, which had reported enumeration figures below 1,000 under Vasundhara scheme, to re-examine and re-submit figures by August.
He had also directed the Revenue Inspectors (RIs) to submit a certificate to their respective tehsildars stating that no homestead landless families have left uncovered in the survey.
Meanwhile, the department has instructed districts to dispose all Bebandobasta cases by September 30.
Stating that the performance of Angul, Balangir, Boudh, Khurda, Nayagarh and Puri was unsatisfactory, the official informed that ADMs have been advised to ensure the cases are disposed in the given time frame. “The defaulting officers will be taken to task and under no circumstances, the deadline will be extended”, he warned.