Directorate of Resettlement and Rehabilitation, Govt. of Orissa

Based on experience, an appropriate implementation strategy and proper institutional set up are extremely critical to successful resettlement and rehabilitation of the displaced population. Therefore, the Orissa Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) Policy, 2006 has a strong focus on the modalities of implementation as well as the institutional set up.

The Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy, 2006 envisages a Directorate of R & R at the State level. Vide Office Order No. R&REH-165/06-16339/R&DM, dated the 26th April, 2007 of Revenue & Disaster Management Department, the Directorate of R & R has been constituted with the following mandate:

To Coordinate and oversee the implementation of R & R by various stakeholders.
To assist the Government to ensure that the displaced person in respect of developmental projects get their dues in a smooth and accountable manner.
To monitor and supervise the steps taken by concerned project authorities for entrepreneurship development among the displaced persons, so that they will be able to derive the advantages offered by economic growth.
To document data on plan and implementation of R & R packages of various developmental projects.
To obtain information on best practices in the country as well as other parts of the world.
To coordinate and commission evaluation studies on merits and demerits of R & R packages of various projects including environmental impact assessment and
To provide policy suggestions for improvement of the livelihoods of the displaced and affected families.

Since the R & R Directorate is at its formative stage, a conscious decision has been taken to vigorously implement the R & R Policy in 6-8 projects having high R & R prominence and to replicate the same in other projects. The Directorate of R & R is functioning within the Revenue & Disaster Management Department in the first floor of the Secretariat Building. Under a strategic alliance with DFID-UNDP to operationalise the R & R Policy 2006, through various capacity building initiatives, the UNDP has provided the infrastructure support for the Directorate.