This UNDP study focuses on the situation of land rights and ownership in Orissa. Provides concrete suggestions to improve access of the poor to land and highlights the need to arrest processes that are promoting land alienation.

Access to land is acutely important in rural India, where the incidence of poverty is highly correlated with lack of access to land. This study focuses on the situation of land rights and ownership in the state of Orissa, with a focus on the landless, women and people from the Scheduled Tribes. It traces the history of land reforms in Orissa followed by a comprehensive analysis of the impact of existing land legislation, the various land distribution schemes of the state government and the Forest Rights Bill (2006). The study also examines issues of land acquisition, transfer and alienation linked with
industrialization, mining, development induced displacement and commercial agriculture. Finally, the study provides concrete suggestions to improve access of the poor to land and highlights the need to arrest processes that are promoting land alienation.