Odisha allots land for 7 tourism projects

The Odisha government has sanctioned a proposal to allot land for seven tourism projects which will bring in Rs 354.34 crore investment to the state, officials said.

The land was sanctioned at the land allotment committee meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary A P Padhi here on Thursday.

While according the sanction, Padhi directed the Tourism Department to fix the commencement and commissioning timeline for each project.

The allottees were also asked to commission the projects within three years from the date of taking possession of the land, Padhi said.

"The land has been allotted for seven projects in different parts of the state after due diligence and technical assessment for land requirement", Tourism Secretary Vishal Dev said.

These projects will ensure an investment of Rs 354.34 crore, Dev said.

The projects will be developed over a total area of around 79.5 acres, of which the government has decided to allot around 42.5 acres.

Some project developers have arranged the rest on their own, Dev said.

"Apart from creating direct employment opportunities, these projects also have the potential for large indirect employment", Dev said.

The approved projects include a golf resort at Satpada in Puri district, resorts at Udayapur and Tampara in Ganjam district, a water park at Basantpur near Sambalpur and a theme park and a resort near Rourkela.