To build urban infrastructure, Odisha starts 1st land pooling scheme in Bhubaneswar

Under the scheme, the landowners would give 40 per cent of their area to BDA, but the Development Authority would not give any compensation but will ensure infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, schools, parks, electricity lines, water and sewerage facilities on the remaining 60 per cent area.

To manage urban expansion and improve socio-economic activities through a structured process, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority started state’s first ever Town Planning Scheme through land pooling.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the scheme would usher in a new era of planned development in the state. (HT PHOTO.)

Inaugurating the scheme by distributing Record of Rights to 11 landowners of Sahajpur village on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said the scheme would usher in a new era of planned development in the state.

“This is a fair, transparent and practical way of expanding the cities in a planned manner. I hope that we implement this scheme in a time-bound manner and create a model for the rest of our cities to emulate. We have to plan our cities in a sustainable manner and enable an organic growth while ensuring safety nets for the vulnerable sections,” said Patnaik.

Under the scheme, the landowners would give 40 per cent of their area to BDA, but the Development Authority would not give any compensation but will ensure infrastructure such as roads, hospitals, schools, parks, electricity lines, water and sewerage facilities on the remaining 60 per cent area. The BDA has already prepared the plan of action to implement the first Town Planning Scheme covering parts of Mouzas of Sahajpur, Naragoda, Sijuput and Paikarapur over an area of 746.70 acres – a first of its kind project in the state.

In the first phase, 358 numbers of Record of Rights (RoR) will be distributed to the land owners of Sahajpur village.

“The Town Planning scheme is a win-win for both – land owners and the authority. The land owner usually gets a percentage of his holding back in rectangular shape nearby his or her original holding. One may also get additional Floor Space Index due to which the value of the returned land will be a multiple of the worth of his original holding, even though the plot size has shrunk,” said BDA vice-chairman Prem Chandra Chaudhury.

Chaudhury said the BDA will now adopt the land pooling method instead of the traditional land acquisition for infrastructure development and urban growth in Bhubaneswar and its outskirts.