Bhubaneswar, November 19: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik met a team of eminent architects from Norman Foster Foundation (NFF) at the state secretariat on Monday.

The Norman Foster Foundation is collaborating with Government of Odisha, Housing and Urban Development Department and Tata Trusts to design and develop master plans for slums under Odisha Liveable Habitat Mission.

Welcoming the architect team the Chief Minister expressed his pleasure for the timely support by Norman Foster Foundation and Tata Trusts. He indicated that the project has created a history and emerged as model for others.

“The project is well accepted by slum dwellers and community leaders. This largest slum land-titling project will benefit a million individuals, with promises to provide “self-respect and freedom from the perpetual fear of eviction,” the CM said.

In May this year, Pritzker Architecture Prize Laureate Lord Norman Foster and Industrialist Ratan N Tata attended launching of Jaga Mission and committed to support this ambitious slum upgradation programme of the state.

Recently the state government has distributed land title and work order for housing to more than 10000 slum dwellers at a special programme in Puri. Besides, land tenure and housing support, these families will also get all essential civic services like access to pipe water, toilet, road, drain, street light and improvement of community places under Jaga Mision.

Hernan Kraviez, Director NFF informed that their team would visit three sites for developing models of in-situ and greenfield development. There will be intensive community consultation, participatory planning exercises to be organized to develop master plan and the design of the slum space to holistic livable habitat.

The team will take support from Tata Trusts and Government of Odisha team to analyse and understand the contextual local need.