By Our Correspondent, Bhubaneswar, January, 31, 2015 :

Stung by the criticism by the opposition parties and Comptroller and Auditor General of India of allotting government land indiscriminately  and without a proper policy in place for the last six decades, the Naveen Patnaik government on Saturday announced new Land Grant Policy  for Bhubaneswar with provision for bidding for commercial, institutional and residential plots.

The key department of the state government, General Administration [GA] will no more have plotted scheme for individuals, chief secretary Gokul Chandra Pati told newsmen after the cabinet meeting chaired by Patnaik.

“The Cabinet has given its approval to GA department’s Land Grant Policy for Bhubaneswar -2015. The new policy will be applicable to allotment of land for residential and commercial purposes in the city. Land to individuals will no longer be allotted through the GA department. Land for residential purposes in the city will be allotted through Bhubaneswar Development Authority [BDA], Bhubaneswar Municipal corporation [BMC] and cooperative housing societies. Though no land will allotted to individuals for residential purposes by the GA department which can be only done through auctions, there can be exceptions in some cases,” Pati added.

The Cabinet also endorsed 11 other proposals of different departments a couple of days ahead of the crucial budget session beginning next week.

The state government had formed a Cabinet sub-committee to give recommendations on land allotments in the capital city to which the Cabinet gave its approval to the draft proposal of the Cabinet sub-committee.

Besides, the Cabinet approved proposals for amendments to the State Prosecution Service Rules and Upper Indravati Lift Canal System project at a cost of Rs 757.8 crore.

The Cabinet also approved for creation of a corpus fund of Rs 100 crore for pre-positioning of fertilisers in the state to provide it to farmers during the Kharif and Rabi seasons. Out of Rs 100 crore corpus, Rs 75 crore will given to Markfed and Rs 25 crore will be given to Odisha Agro Industries Corporation.