State has lowest slum population in the country

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Economic Survey, 2019-20, has pointed out that Odisha has the lowest 3.72% slum population (people living in slums of the total state population) in the country. The survey covered both urban and rural slums.
Although there has been rapid urbanisation, pointed out in the survey between 2001 and 2011 with coming up of class IV and class III towns and cities (which is about 35.06% and 25% population, respectively), the number of people living in slums is only 15.60 lakh. While the male population is 8 lakh, 7.6 lakh women live in slums with 1.9 lakh children. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have the highest slums with population of 1.64 lakh each. Andhra Pradesh has the highest 12.04% people living in slums, followed by National Capital New Delhi and Puducherry, the survey said.
In the state, urban slum population is 22% of the total population. There are 3.50 lakh slum households in the state.
The survey has said there has been steep demographic shift from rural to urban areas, resulting in shortage of affordable space in urban areas and resulting in patches of government land being encroached on by the settlers.
The survey has focused on the government’s Jaga Mission, which is aimed at providing land rights to slum dwellers, redeveloping the slums and rehabilitating the dwellers. For this, the government had formulated Odisha Land Rights to Slum Dwellers Act, 2017.
Under the Act, the survey has highlighted that the slum dwellers get land rights for residential use and the land is heritable and can be mortgaged but not transferable. The slum dwellers in notified area councils (NACs) will get land up to 646 sqft while it is 484 sqft in municipalities. This land criterion is applicable in case of their settlement in the place, which they have occupied. But in case of relocation, 323 sqft land will be granted for each household for free.
After Bhubaneswar was accorded number one smart city in the country, the slums, coming under Bhubaneswar Town Centre District (BTCD) area, have been getting special attention. Besides, redevelopment and ensuring better sanitation and descent urban living, under socially-smart programmes, the slum children are provided self-defence training. They are also imparted other skill development training so that they can become self-reliant.