Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has issued a strict warning against the unauthorized sale of land allotted under its Vasundhara scheme, a program aimed at providing land to the landless. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari emphasized on Friday that selling land granted under this scheme without prior government approval would invite stringent action.
Speaking to the media, the minister explained that the Vasundhara scheme, implemented under the Odisha Land Settlement Act, 1962, provided four decimals of homestead land to landless families. Previously, beneficiaries were allowed to sell this land after a 10-year period. However, a recent amendment now prohibits the arbitrary sale of Vasundhara land altogether. He clarified that if a beneficiary’s successor inherits less than four decimals of Vasundhara land, they must surrender it to the government. The state will then reassign land to them according to the updated guidelines. He added that anyone wishing to sell such land must obtain formal permission from authorities, as neither beneficiaries nor their families are allowed to sell it at their discretion.
Following the BJP government’s rise to power in 2024, district collectors were directed to investigate and report on the status of Vasundhara scheme land allocations. These reports, spanning decades, are being compiled from the 2023-24 financial year onward.
The review was prompted by concerns raised by the Revenue Minister that records of rights (RoRs) had been issued to landless individuals without proper lease approvals or the creation of case records. The government is determined to correct such irregularities and ensure transparency.
As part of its broader housing initiative, the Odisha government has pledged to provide every citizen with a homestead plot and a house within five years. Under this plan, rural families earning less than ₹1 lakh annually and lacking homestead land will receive four decimals of land. Moreover, residents occupying government land not classified as pasture, wetland, or cremation grounds will have the land settled in their names officially.
This move underscores the government’s commitment to supporting landless families while safeguarding land allocated under the Vasundhara scheme from misuse or exploitation.
