Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will provide land to those who lose their land property due to natural calamities, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said today.

District Collectors across the state will soon be asked to submit detailed reports on affected individuals. Based on these reports, the government will take a final decision.

The minister said that the issue has been prevalent in areas like Niali since 1982, where floods and changes in river courses in places such as Badamba have led to significant land loss, with farmlands disappearing into riverbeds.

As part of the plan, affected individuals will receive land in exchange for the land they lost, instead of monetary compensation. “Providing cash compensation often results in the amount being spent quickly. Many tribal communities prefer land over money,” Pujari said.

The government is also working on a new modern resettlement and rehabilitation policy, expected to be introduced in 2025. Under this, affected persons may opt to become stakeholders in government projects in lieu of compensation, enabling them to receive proportional benefits from the projects over time, he said.

The minister added that beneficiaries will be free to choose their preferred option: land, monetary compensation, or project partnership, and no decision will be imposed upon them by the government.