BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Wednesday decided to resolve long-pending issues of Sikkim ryots’ land and displaced persons of the Hirakud dam project in Rengali tehsil of Sambalpur district. Official sources said around two lakh small and marginal farmers of Cuttack, Puri and Balasore districts will benefit from the resolution. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed the officials of the Revenue and Disaster Management department to begin the resolution of the matters at the earliest.
The Sikkim ryot problem relates to tenants and sub-tenants and is prevailed in several districts of the state for decades. Sources said three high-level meetings were held in the first and second week of September following the direction of the chief minister to find solutions to problems. Earlier, decisions were taken to resolve similar problems in the Sorada block of Ganjam district, Hirakud dam project displaces in Jharsuguda and issues of leased out land in Puri municipality.
5T secretary VK Pandian during his visit to districts had received several grievance petitions relating to the problem. Official sources said a high-tech survey was ordered to resolve the problem in Kurla, Thuntiktarbaga, Yogipalli and Sapne villages in Rengali tehsil of Sambalpur district where families displaced by the Hirakud project reside. The district administration has been asked to complete the survey soon and resolve the land issues.
Earlier, a decision was taken to solve the land issues in 18 villages of Lakhanpur tehsil and one of Jharsuguda tehsil in the first phase. Land patta distribution will start from Limeitikra village of Jharsuguda district.
Similarly, in 22 villages of Soroda block of Ganjam district, it was decided to resolve old land problems and distribute house and farmland leases. Similarly, the Jatni Khasmahal land issue will be resolved and the first phase of the lease distributed soon.
The 5T secretary along with development commissioner Anu Garg, additional chief secretary of Revenue department Satyabrat Sahu, secretary in Law department Manas Ranjan Barik and collectors of Ganjam, Sambalpur, Puri, Khurda and Jharsuguda were present at a review meeting on this during the day.
Final solution