A five-member cabinet sub-committee of Odisha government today gave its approval to Land Grant Policy-2012 with provision of allotting commercial plots in the state capital through bidding process, official sources said.
"The commercial land will henceforth be put on tender and no individual can get land in the state capital jurisdiction in his/her name. We have prepared a draft land allotment policy after studying the prevailing policies of other states," said revenue minister S N Patro, who headed the five-member cabinet sub-committee on Land Grant Policy-2012.
Quoting recommendations of the sub-committee, Patro however said the individuals can get land for residence purpose only if they apply through societies.
"The government will take decision whether to allot land to any society," he said.
Asked about the implementation of the new policy, Patro said the report of the sub-committee would be placed before the state Cabinet to take a final decision in this regard.
The cabinet sub-committee recommendation on the land allotment in the state capital came barely a week after the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) strongly criticised the state government for not having rules, regulations, manuals for land allotment.
There was no policy for land allotment in the state capital for the last 60 years though General Administration Department was in-charge of land management, CAG had said.
