State moots separate land allotment policy

The cabinet sub-committee on policy for land allotment in Bhubaneswar, headed by the revenue minister Surya Narayan Patro, has recommended the state government to implement a separate land allotment policy for the capital city.

This should be formulated after examining the land policy prevailing in the non-metro cities like Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Tiruvanthapuram.

While suggesting enactment of an act in line with the neighbouring Andhra Pradesh for prevention of encroachment of government land and land grabbing, the sub-committee has pitched for extending the jurisdiction of general administration department to the whole of BDA (Bhubaneswar Development Authority) area.

Talking to media after the meeting, the revenue and disaster management minister, Surya Narayan Patro said, out of about 20,000 acres of land under the control of the general administration (GA) department, about 18,700 acres were allotted to different organisations.

 

Out of the remaining 1300 acres, about 900 acres have been encroached illegally. The government has constructed boundary wall to protect 177 acres out of the remaining 400 acres under the GA department.

He said, 377 slums in and around Bhubaneswar occupy a part of the land belonging to the GA department. The committee has suggested construction of affordable apartments in one-third of the encroached land to rehabilitate the slum dwellers. For the purpose, a bio-metric survey of the slum dwellers would be taken up.

Patro said, Orissa State Housing Board and BDA would be provided land at nominal rate for construction of affordable housing projects for the poor and low income people. Besides, the government should bring more area under the jurisdiction of BDA to enable it allot land to different sections of people.