Bhubaneswar: The State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi at the Lokaseba Bhawan conference hall, has approved 10 major proposals spanning five Government Departments during its 41st meeting.
Following the proceedings, Chief Secretary Shrimati Anu Garg briefed the media on the key administrative decisions, which include two proposals from the Industries Department, four from the Housing and Urban Development Department, two from the Water Resources Department, one from the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, and one from the Tourism Department.
In a major move to boost tourism-led economic growth and attract large-scale private investments, the Cabinet approved a landmark scheme titled “Land Bank for Hospitality Infrastructure” under the Department of Tourism. Recognizing the challenge posed by the lack of contiguous, encroachment-free, and investment-ready land, the scheme aims to establish a dedicated Tourism Land Bank. Approximately 5,500 acres of both government and private land parcels will be identified and developed across prominent tourist destinations, including Chilika, Konark, Puri (Shamuka), Dhauli, Hirakud, Satkosia, Similipal, Bhitarkanika, Daringbadi, Deomali, the Buddhist Circuit, Jiranga, Talsari, and Tampara-Aryapalli, among others.
The tourism scheme will be implemented over a five-year period from financial year 2026-27 to financial year 2030-31, with an annual outlay of 300 crore rupees, bringing the total estimated financial implication to 1,500 crore rupees. The Department of Tourism will function as the nodal agency, coordinating with IDCO, OTDC, the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, and the General Administration and Public Grievance Department. This initiative is designed to facilitate master planning, reduce project gestation periods, improve the ease of doing business, ensure balanced regional development, and generate substantial employment opportunities for local communities.
In another significant decision, the Cabinet approved a proposal from the Revenue and Disaster Management Department to waive the capitalized value of land revenue and its accrued interest for government land allotted to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The waiver applies to an area of 0.70 acres situated in Mouza-Chakradharpur under Baranga Tahasil of Cuttack District, which was allotted in favor of the 3rd Battalion, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Mundali. The land is being utilized for the construction of an approach road connecting the Banki-Cuttack State Highway to the NDRF Complex.
Consequent to this approval, an amount of 13,07,718 rupees towards the capitalized value of land revenue and interest accrued from the date of handing over advance possession will be waived. The government extended this financial waiver considering that the NDRF is a non-commercial public service organization engaged in critical disaster response operations that directly benefit the citizens of Odisha. The land alienation was originally sanctioned by the Collector of Cuttack in 2013, with possession transferred in 2014, and the site continues to serve strictly as a non-commercial approach road.