A new deal for displaced people: Orissa's involuntary resettlement policy

Abstract

Because of its rich natural resources and the new investor-friendly development policies, Orissa in recent years has become an attractive investment destination for large corporations, but the increased level of development activity has only led to displacement on a scale much larger than before. Recognizing the urgent need for a comprehensive policy to address the emerging problems of development-induced displacement, the government of Orissa in 2001 accepted the offer of UNDP assistance in preparing a comprehensive resettlement policy. In July 2005 the UNDP submitted to the government a comprehensive policy draft which was based on an in-depth and a wide-ranging desk study, field research and stakeholder consultation processes. Taking the UNDP draft policy into consideration, the government of Orissa finally announced its own resettlement policy in May 2006. A leading Indian newsmagazine has described this UNDP-initiated resettlement policy as the best policy in India. It is a big step forward; certainly a timely and a very significant development. The new policy demonstrates the commitment of Orissa to an investment climate which is both pro-business and concerned with human welfare.

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