BDA speeds up leasehold to freehold land conversion, registers 580 deeds

Bhubaneswar, Feb 5: The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has made significant strides in its initiative to convert leasehold land into freehold land. So far, 580 conveyance deeds have been registered out of 867 applications submitted. Notably, 462 applications were received through the BDA’s online portal.

Interested applicants can submit their requests online via the official BDA website at https://bda.gov.in.

In the initial phase, 24 housing schemes have been included for conversion. These schemes include Pokhariput Phases I, II, and III, the Prachi Enclave plotted scheme in Chandrasekharpur, Lumbini Vihar Housing Scheme in Chandrasekharpur, Udayagiri Vihar in Patrapada, and Lingaraj Vihar in Bhimpur. The BDA plans to gradually expand the initiative to include other housing projects.

The conversion fee for residential plots has been set at 3% of the latest Bench Mark Valuation of Gharabari Kissan land, as determined by the Registering Authority for 2024.

For plots mortgaged to financial institutions, conversion will only proceed upon submission of a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the lender. Additionally, applicants must provide an affidavit confirming that there are no ongoing civil disputes regarding the land. If legal disputes exist, the conversion application will only be processed after a final court order is obtained.

Encroachers on government, public undertaking, or BDA land will not be eligible for conversion unless they first vacate the occupied land. Applicants must also submit an affidavit stating that no such encroachment exists.