BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday will inaugurate the drone survey of slums after completion of which the dwellers will be given land rights as per the Jaga Mission.

A private agency will conduct the survey to identify genuine beneficiaries of land rights among the slum dwellers. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) had earlier signed an agreement with the agency to conduct the survey.

BMC deputy commissioner (housing) Ramesh Jena said the CM will inaugurate the drone survey in the virtual mode with mayor Sulochana Das being present at Mahima Nagar in ward no. 9 with slum beneficiaries. The Urban Slum Household Area (USHA) survey will be conducted in 436 slums in two years, he said.

BMC officials said every landless person occupying land in a slum in BMC area before the cut-off date (the government is yet to decide), will be eligible for land rights.

“If a person residing in a slum is relocated from a place, he or she will be eligible to get 30 sq metre of land or house. If a person possesses 30 sq metre of land, he can get land rights of maximum 45 sq metre. If a person has less than 30 sq metre of land, he can get land rights of 30 sq metre,” Jena said.

The land rights will be given to the slum residents as per Odisha Land Rights to Slum Dwellers Act-2017 and the Odisha Municipal Corporation (amendment) Act-2022, officials said.

A sub-committee will scrutinise the survey reports thoroughly. The report will contain all details of existing slum residents including ration, Adhaar card, land (if any), condition of living, employment and educational details and so on. The survey will cover more than one lakh households under BMC limits.