Steel City slum dwellers’ rehab gets admin push

ROURKELA: Sundargarh district administration has geared up to rehabilitate slum dwellers in the Steel City ahead of Men’s Hockey World Cup, scheduled to be held in 2023. The district administration, in collaboration with Rourkela Development Authority (RDA) and Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) has set a target to provide affordable houses to 3,000 families belonging to the economically weaker sections and lower income groups.

The houses will be built under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban with grants from Central and State governments. Most such dwellings would come up at Chhend Colony. While one of the projects, being implemented by RDA is underway, another is in final stages of approval.

Both RDA and RMC will be constructing the houses in various areas of the town including civil township, Gopabandhupalli and Madhusudanpalli. Rourkela ADM and RDA secretary Aboli Sunil Naravane on Saturday met the residents of Khariabahal slum at Uditnagar and sought their feedback on the administration’s initiative.

She assured to rehabilitate 90 families from the locality soon and said the move will free up spaces in the city and the same would be utilised for implementation of Smart City projects before the World Cup.