65,000 slum dwellers in Odisha get land certificates under Jaga Mission
BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday distributed land rights certificates to 65,000 families from 875 slums in the state under the government’s flagship Jaga Mission. In the first phase, the certificates were handed over to the slum dwellers of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela and Sambalpur municipal corporations.
Distributing the certificates at a special function organised at the Kalinga stadium here, the chief minister said that the state government is also providing financial assistance for construction of houses. Stating that the mission will continue till all the poor families of the urban centres are given land rights, he said that the second phase of the distribution will be held at the capital city in October. Thousands of beneficiaries greeted the chief minister when he started his speech with ‘Apana Mane Khusi Ta’ (Are you happy).
The chief minister said that land rights are being given to people living in different slums since the Jaga Mission was launched in 2018. Over 2.4 lakh families have so far been provided land rights. Besides, 40,000 families have been provided financial assistance to construct houses under the scheme, he said.
He said all basic necessities have been provided in these colonies with an aim to create slum-free Odisha. The slums are being renamed as Biju Adarsha colonies. So far 1,010 slums have been converted to Biju Adarsha colonies in 68 urban local bodies (ULBs).
Stating that Jaga Mission has created a new identity for poor people of urban areas, the chief minister said this work of the state government has drawn the attention of the entire world. The mission has started a new age in the tranformation of urban centres of the state, he said and praised the Tata Steel Foundation for its important role in this endeavour. The chief minister felicitated the Jaga Mission team for getting the UN-World Habitat Award-2023.
BJP demands white paper on Jaga Mission
Bhubaneswar: The BJP demanded the state government to publish a white paper on Jaga Mission and the number of land titles issued to beneficiaries since the inception of the scheme in 2017. BJP state president Manmohan Samal told a media conference that the certificate is not a valid document as it has no legal status of a land patta or record of rights