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The Orissa High Court has instructed residents of Shantipalli Basti in Bhubaneswar to vacate their homes and move into transit housing so the in-situ slum redevelopment under PMAY-Urban can proceed. The court validated the transfer of land to the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and upheld a beneficiary contribution of INR 1.5 lakh per flat. While Phase I (840 flats) is nearing completion, with 462 units allotted, Phase II remains stalled due to resistance and interim orders. The state has arranged transit accommodation, basic amenities, and credit support for economically weaker beneficiaries.
The Orissa High Court has directed residents of Shantipalli Basti in Bhubaneswar to vacate their current dwellings and move into transit housing so that redevelopment under the Shantipalli Awas Yojana can advance. This scheme is part of the broader Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U), focused on replacing informal settlements with structured, multi-storey housing. Advertisement
Justice Sanjeeb K. Panigrahi, in his ruling, upheld the transfer of the land to the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA). He also upheld the decision of the State Level Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee to fix the beneficiary's contribution at INR 1.5 lakh per housing unit. The court emphasised that while people have a constitutional right to shelter under Article 21, this does not equate to a right to continue illegal occupation indefinitely, and the project represents a public-interest form of urban transformation.
Under the redevelopment plan, the project's total capacity is 1,300 flats. Phase I consists of 840 units, and so far 462 flats have been allotted to eligible residents. Recently, in the third phase of allotment, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation and BDA handed over another 100 flats, raising the number of beneficiaries to about 560. However, Phase II of the project has run into delays because of interim status-quo orders from the court and some residents resisting the move.
To support the relocation, the government has provided transit accommodation equipped with essential amenities. It has also arranged for bank-linked credit support to help EWS (economically weaker section) beneficiaries who cannot make the full payment upfront. The court has directed that residents must shift to the transit housing within a set timeframe; failure to comply could lead to revocation of the status-quo order.
Additionally, the court has asked the monitoring committee to closely oversee the allotment process and financial facilitation. It has instructed both the BDA and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to ensure credit assistance is available especially for those beneficiaries who find the contribution a burden.
The redevelopment plan is part of broader efforts in Bhubaneswar to provide formal housing for low-income urban residents. Earlier, the Odisha government had launched three affordable housing complexes in the city, including Keshari Residency (for Shantipalli), under similar urban housing initiatives. These projects include amenities such as drinking water supply, sewerage, street lighting, and community infrastructure.
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