Odisha CM Majhi launches ₹75.6 crore package for Ganjam's displaced Nolia families
Synopsis
Forty years after their land was acquired for the Army Air Defence College, 1,371 Nolia families in Odisha's Ganjam district finally have a resolution — a ₹75.6 crore state package that includes ₹5 lakh per family in direct cash transfers. CM Majhi used the occasion to mount a pointed political attack on the BJD, accusing it of suppressing these voices for 24 years despite Ganjam producing five Chief Ministers.
Key Takeaways
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi launched a ₹75.6 crore R&R package on 27 August for displaced Nolia families in Ganjam district .
1,371 eligible families will each receive a one-time DBT payment of ₹5 lakh , totalling ₹68.55 crore . ₹4.25 crore allocated for housing assistance — completing 998 incomplete homes and building 10 new ones .
Land pattas distributed to 96 of 112 families displaced by the Chheligada Medium Irrigation Project in the first phase.
Chheligada project completion, targeted by end of next year, will bring over 6,000 hectares under irrigation in Ganjam and Gajapati.
CM Majhi accused the BJD of ignoring the displaced Nolias for 24 years despite Ganjam being a political stronghold of the party.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday, 27 August launched a special Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) package worth over ₹75.6 crore for 1,371 Nolia families of Golabandha in Ganjam district, who were displaced in 1984 for the construction of the Army Air Defence College. The announcement ends a wait of over four decades for communities that had long sought state intervention.
What the Package Covers
Under the special R&R package, each of the 1,371 eligible families will receive a one-time compensation of ₹5 lakh through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), amounting to a total outlay of ₹68.55 crore. An additional ₹4.25 crore has been set aside as housing assistance — covering the completion of 998 incomplete houses and the construction of 10 new homes. More than ₹2.80 crore has been sanctioned separately for infrastructure development in the new Kirtipur Colony.
Land Pattas for Chheligada Displaced Families
During the same event, CM Majhi distributed land records (pattas) for homestead and agricultural land to 96 of the 112 families displaced by the Chheligada Medium Irrigation Project — the first phase of a broader settlement effort. The Chief Minister noted that once the Chheligada Project is completed by the end of next year, more than 6,000 hectares of land across Ganjam and Gajapati districts will come under irrigation, benefiting farmers in both regions.
CM Majhi Targets BJD Over Decades of Neglect
Addressing the gathering at Golabandha, Majhi trained his sights on the Opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD), accusing the party of using Ganjam as a political stronghold for 24 years without addressing the displaced communities' concerns. 'The struggle and sacrifice of the residents of Golabandha are immense. Our government has permanently solved this problem, which had remained ignored for 4 long decades since the handover of land for the Army Air Defence College in 1984,' he said. He added that 'the Opposition, considering Ganjam as their impregnable fortress for 24 years, merely played politics, but never understood the plight of the displaced. Even though this district gave the state a Chief Minister 5 times, the voice of the poor Nolias could not reach the corridors of power.'
Emotional Welcome at Golabandha
The event carried a notably personal tone: women from Golabandha tied rakhis on the Chief Minister's wrist at the start of the programme, and Majhi personally handed land pattas to beneficiaries on stage. The Chief Minister framed the resolution as a priority of the current 'Double Engine' government — a term used to describe aligned BJP administrations at both the state and Centre levels.
What Comes Next
The remaining 16 families from the Chheligada displacement are expected to receive their land pattas in subsequent phases. Completion of the Chheligada irrigation project is targeted by the end of next year, after which irrigation coverage in the two districts is set to expand significantly. The broader R&R package sets a precedent for other long-pending displacement cases in Odisha, where infrastructure projects have historically displaced communities without timely resettlement.
Point of View
' Majhi is recasting Ganjam — historically a BJD fortress that produced five Chief Ministers — as a symbol of that party's failure to convert political dominance into grassroots delivery. The deeper question is whether this is a one-off electoral gesture or the start of a systematic audit of displacement cases across Odisha, where infrastructure-led land acquisition has a long, unresolved tail. The DBT mechanism is sound; the test will be whether the remaining 16 Chheligada families and other pending cases receive equal urgency after the cameras leave Golabandha.
NationPress
27 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ₹75.6 crore R&R package announced for Ganjam's Nolia families?
It is a special Rehabilitation and Resettlement package launched by Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi on 27 August for 1,371 Nolia families of Golabandha in Ganjam district, who were displaced in 1984 for the construction of the Army Air Defence College. The package includes a ₹5 lakh one-time DBT payment per family, housing assistance, and infrastructure funds for Kirtipur Colony.
Why were the Nolia families of Golabandha displaced?
The Nolia families were displaced in 1984 when their land in Golabandha, Ganjam district, was acquired for the construction of the Army Air Defence College. They had been awaiting rehabilitation and resettlement for over four decades before this package was announced.
What did CM Majhi accuse the BJD of?
CM Majhi alleged that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), which governed Odisha for 24 years, used Ganjam district as a political stronghold while suppressing the voices of displaced Nolia families and failing to address their plight. He said that despite Ganjam producing five Chief Ministers under BJD rule, the displaced communities were never given priority.
Who will benefit from the Chheligada irrigation project?
Once the Chheligada Medium Irrigation Project is completed by the end of next year, more than 6,000 hectares of agricultural land across Ganjam and Gajapati districts will come under irrigation. In the first phase, land pattas were distributed to 96 of the 112 families displaced by the project.
How much will each displaced Nolia family receive under the package?
Each of the 1,371 eligible Nolia families will receive a one-time compensation of ₹5 lakh through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), amounting to a combined total of ₹68.55 crore. Additional housing and infrastructure funds are also part of the broader ₹75.6 crore package.
