The State Government has mooted creation of a land Bank in the Puri-Konark Regional Development Authority (PKRDA) jurisdiction with Chief Secretary AP Padhi directing officials to prepare self-dependent projects.
Padhi discussed about the proposed land Bank which would help investors.
Development Commissioner R Balakrishnan, Tourism Principal Secretary Gagan Kumar Dhal, Revenue Principal Secretary Mona Sharma and Forest Principal Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra were among those who attended a meeting in this regard at the State Secretariat here on Wednesday.
Puri district Collector Arvind Agarwal told reporters after the meeting that the PKRDA would earmark five acre in Siddha Mahaveer Mouza, six acres in Balukhanda Mouza, two acre in Samang Mouza, one acre in Markandeswar Sahi, ten acre in Madhipur Mouza and 9.5 acre in Penthakata Mouza for construction of residential houses for economically-backward, lower and middle income group people.People who are being evicted from different areas of Puri city can be rehabilitated in the housing clusters that would come up, Agarwal said.
He said the Chief Secretary directed the Collector and PKRDA officials to initiate schemes which would be self-dependant and economically viable.While such an initiative has been taken in the PKRDA areas, the Government has also decided to go for a land Bank for tourism and hospitality industries.The Department of Tourism has also identified several places where hotels would come up as there is demand for more rooms for tourists.
Apart from Puri, Konark, Satapada, Rambha, Barkul, Chandipur, Chandaneswar, Bhitarkanika, Dhamra, Paradip, Jajpur, Similipal, Sambalpur, Hirakud, Rourkela, Gopalpur, Dhabaleswar, Hirakud and several other places where there is demand for more rooms, the district Collectors would identify the land for the proposed land Bank.
The Revenue Divisional Commissioners (RDCs) have also been asked to take up the programme with the Collectors and provide details to the Department of Tourism.