The Odisha Government has initiated the processing of land settlement in favor of residents of Salia Sahi, the state’s largest urban slum in Bhubaneswar, under the Forest Right Act, 2006. The decision is expected to benefit hundreds of people living in Salia Sahi and is said to have far-reaching implications. The settlement, categorized as forest land in revenue records, is likely to be the first settlement inside an urban area under the Forest Right Act. The move comes after the Adibasi Gramya Unnayan Committee of Salia Sahi submitted a memorandum seeking their settlement rights under FRA-2006. The committee highlights the existence of around 800 houses and a traditional deity in the area.