Bhubaneswar, Sept. 30 (UDN): The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has flagged significant shortcomings in Odisha’s land management, including the non-utilisation of thousands of acres allotted for industrial and allied activities.
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A performance audit covering eight districts found that 12,393.651 acres of land allotted between 1981 and 2021 had remained unused for the purposes for which they were sanctioned. Another 252.692 acres were found to have been used for activities other than those approved.
According to the audit, the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) had allotted 50,231.849 acres for industrial purposes as of March 2024. However, inadequate monitoring and weak lease provisions affected the authorities’ ability to enforce land-use conditions and recover plots that remained unutilised.
The CAG also pointed to gaps in the land-record monitoring system. The Revenue and Disaster Management Department did not maintain a comprehensive database to track acquired and allotted land, while regular surveys to assess actual land use were not being conducted by IDCO or district administrations.
Government Land Worth Nearly ₹598 Crore Under Encroachment
The audit further revealed that 668.893 acres of government land, estimated to be worth ₹597.87 crore, were under unauthorised occupation in the areas covered by the audit.
The report also identified instances of land-use violations involving agricultural and forest land.
As many as 504.768 acres of agricultural land were found to have been used for non-agricultural purposes without proper authorisation. In addition, 568.876 acres of forest land had reportedly been used for non-forest activities without the required approvals.
The CAG has recommended stronger mechanisms to monitor allotted land and ensure compliance with prescribed conditions.
Among the measures suggested are the creation of village-wise land banks, regular surveys to establish the status of land, recovery of unused industrial plots and stringent action against unauthorised occupation and land-use changes.
The audit findings highlight the need for closer coordination between IDCO, district administrations and the Revenue Department to improve oversight of industrial and government land across the state.