Village Status To Over 4K Hamlets Ahead Of Rural Polls In Odisha; Guidelines Issued

Bhubaneswar: With the panchayat elections likely to be held within the next six months, the Odisha government on Wednesday issued new guidelines to facilitate the creation of more than 4000 new villages across the state.

“More than 3,500 proposals to grant revenue village status have been pending at the district level for years and misinterpretation of the existing instructions pertaining to reservation limit for Gochar and communal land has resulted in non-disposal of cases,” principal secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Bishnupada Sethi said.

THE GUIDELINES:

1. The hamlet is to be located at more than hall k.m. from the mother revenue village with a population of 250 or more.

2. The hamlet lying within half k.m. from the mother village should be having a population of more than 300.

3. Hamlet separated from the mother village by a natural barrier even if the population of the hamlet is less than 250 can be constituted as a separate village.

4. Reservation limit for Gochar and Communal land for the creation of new revenue village out of existing mother village shall not be insisted upon. However, residents of the newly carved out village shall still have access to existing gochar and communal land situated in the mother village.

This is being seen as a step by the ruling BJD to consolidate its position in the rural hinterland ahead of the polls as the inhabitants of the newly-created villages will then be entitled to certain benefits under the government schemes.