Odisha Government to reclaim unused industrial land, sets two-month deadline for review

Bhubaneswar, May 14: The Odisha government has expressed serious concern over the acquisition of excess land by several industrial units, much of which remains unused even after more than a decade. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday stated that many companies had acquired large tracts of land with the promise of industrial development but failed to utilise them properly.

“What is more worrying is that even after 10 to 15 years, there is no industrial activity on many of these plots,” Pujari said. He pointed out that although the land was allotted specifically for industrial purposes, several units have not taken any step to develop the infrastructure or initiate operations.

Taking note of the issue, the Revenue Department has been given a two-month deadline to conduct a thorough review. District Collectors have been instructed to identify such cases in their respective jurisdictions and submit detailed reports indicating how much land was acquired, how much has been used, and how much remains idle or misused.

Based on the findings, the state government will initiate legal procedures to reclaim unused land and ensure it is put to proper use for public or industrial development.