Viksit Odisha / Odisha CM Announces Rs75.60 Crore R&R Package for Golabandh Displaced Families

Brahmapur, Aug 27: Ending four decades of uncertainty, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday unveiled a comprehensive rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) package worth Rs75.60 crore for 1,371 displaced families of Golabandh in Ganjam district.

The announcement was made at a special programme held in Golabandh, marking a historic resolution to a long-pending issue dating back to 1984 when land was acquired for the Army Air Defence College.

Under the package, each displaced family will receive Rs5 lakh as compensation through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), amounting to Rs68.55 crore in total. Additionally, 1,008 housing units will be provided, with Rs4.25 crore allocated for construction and completion of unfinished houses. Infrastructure development in the new Keertipur colony, including roads, streetlights, Anganwadi centres, market complexes, public toilets, cyclone shelters, and beach leveling for fishing boats, will be supported with Rs2.80 crore.

The Chief Minister also distributed land pattas to 96 families displaced by the Cheligada Medium Irrigation Project, with each family receiving 10 decimals of homestead land and up to two acres of agricultural land. The remaining families will be allotted pattas soon. Once completed, the project is expected to irrigate over 6,000 hectares in Ganjam and Gajapati districts.

CM Majhi described the struggle and sacrifice of Golabandh’s residents as “immeasurable,” noting that successive governments had ignored their plight for decades. “Our double-engine government has ensured a permanent solution, granting secure rights to every displaced family,” he said.
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The programme also highlighted broader development plans for Ganjam, including the revival of Arjipalli fishing harbour, establishment of 28 fish landing centres, expansion of Gopalpur port, and construction of a mega port at Bahuda with an investment of Rs21,500 crore. The Gopalpur Industrial Park is set to attract investments exceeding Rs40,000 crore, creating over 18,000 jobs. The Chief Minister further announced that Odisha will generate over five lakh jobs in the next two years, urging youth to skill themselves for emerging opportunities.

Ministers Suresh Pujari, Bibhuti Bhushan Jena, and Gokulananda Mallik, along with MPs and MLAs from Ganjam, attended the event, underscoring the government’s commitment to addressing displacement and driving regional development.