Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is planning to bring a new Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) Policy in 2025 to ensure that land acquisition for projects is made with proper consent of the affected people without any form of imposition.
The state government has already initiated the process to prepare and formulate a new mechanism in this regard, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari told reporters on Monday.
As part of the proposed policy, displaced people will have the right to choose between different forms of compensation. If land is required for any project, the government will not force its plan on land losers. Different options will be given based on the demands and convenience of the affected people, he said.
Instead of taking monetary compensation, people losing land can opt to become stakeholders in the project. Land in exchange for land will also be arranged by the government. If the affected people wants, they can take a proportional shareholding in the project in place of financial compensation, the Minister said.
The core principle of the new policy is participatory decision-making where the choice will be entirely with the people. as the government will not impose any decision on anyone, Pujari said.
The new R&R policy is also expected to address concerns of tribal communities, many of whom have expressed preference for receiving land in place of land lost, rather than cash payouts that quickly get spent without sustainable benefit.
Moreover, money provided as compensation does not last for more than three years in many cases. Similarly, many people do not know how to set up trades and businesses and lose their compensation money, the Minister said.
The state is now aligning the policy with modern displacement and rehabilitation models to ensure long-term livelihood security for affected families. The approach aims to provide multiple resettlement options, including project participation, alternative livelihood opportunities, and land-for-land exchanges, to safeguard both economic and cultural stability of communities.
District Collectors will soon be asked to submit detailed reports on affected individuals. Based on these reports, the government will take a final decision.
