TNI Bureau: The Odisha government announced a financial assistance of ₹10 lakh for the family of a tribal woman who was killed in a land dispute, along with compensation for houses and shops damaged during subsequent violence in Malkangiri district last month.

Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Gokulananda Mallik said the decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, based on the findings of a ministerial team that visited the violence-hit MV-26 village. The team, led by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo, held discussions with tribal groups and Bengali settlers on December 11.

The violence erupted after the headless body of 51-year-old Lake Padiami of Rakhelguda village was recovered from a river, triggering anger among tribal residents. Over 200 houses belonging to Bengali settlers in MV-26 village were set on fire. Police arrested the accused in the murder case, imposed prohibitory orders, and suspended internet services in the area for about a week to control the situation.

Minister Mallik said the state government will provide a special financial assistance of ₹10 lakh to the family of the deceased from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. For houses damaged during the violence, financial assistance of up to ₹75,000 per house will be provided based on assessment by the district administration. Shopkeepers whose establishments were damaged will receive assistance of up to ₹20,000 for repairs.

To address long-pending tribal grievances, the government has decided that the Malkangiri district collector will review hundreds of pending land-related cases every fortnight and report progress to the state government. Permanent land pattas will be provided to eligible families under the Forest Rights Act and the Odisha Government Land Settlement Act, with monthly progress reviews.

The government also decided to provide permanent land titles to families displaced by the Machhkund Irrigation Project. A long-term rehabilitation plan will be worked out jointly by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department and the Water Resources Department. The Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department will conduct quarterly reviews of rehabilitation and land-related issues in the district.

Steps will also be taken to improve irrigation for upland farms near the Machhkund reservoir. Tribal farmers and others will be facilitated to avail benefits under the Chief Minister’s Agriculture Development Scheme and similar programmes.

In the education sector, the School and Mass Education Department will fill vacant mother tongue-based multilingual education teacher posts in Koya, Didayi and Bonda languages at the primary level. The government will also increase seats in higher secondary schools in Malkangiri district to help students continue their studies beyond Class X. Additional hostels will be constructed in schools and colleges to accommodate students from remote areas.

The state government said these measures aim to ensure justice, rehabilitation and long-term development for tribal communities, while restoring peace and stability in the violence-affected region.