BDA allots affordable houses for slum dwellers

Bhubaneswar: Continuing its effort to relocate slums in Bhubaneswar City, Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) today conducted a transparent lottery draw for the allotment of houses to 38 beneficiaries under its Affordable Housing Projects (AHP) and In-situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR) schemes at the BDA office.

This initiative aims to provide secure and dignified housing to the urban poor residing in slums and informal settlements.

As many as 24 beneficiaries were allotted dwelling units under the Barunei Enclave AHP in Subudhipur, 9 under the Santi Nagar Awas Yojana (Keshari Residency), and 5 under the Nilamadhab Awas scheme located in Chandrasekharpur.

The lottery process was conducted in the presence of BDA Vice-Chairman Dr. N. Thirumala Naik, who reiterated the authority’s commitment to inclusive urban development. “We aim to provide more than just shelter — our goal is to ensure a better quality of life with access to essential infrastructure and basic services,” he said.

To ensure fairness and transparency, the lottery was overseen by Independent Observer Dr. Susama Barik, Secretary-cum-General Manager of Boyanika. Senior officials including BDA Secretary Manas Ranjan Padhi and Additional Commissioner (Estate-II) Manoj Kumar Swain were also present.

During the draw, beneficiaries participated in the process by picking tokens from a transparent box under the supervision of officials. Each beneficiary will need to pay Rs 1.50 lakh to get a flat under the Affordable Housing Project.