In places like Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, the Odisha government has started the process for simple conversion of leased property to freehold plots.
Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, who presided over a high-level meeting here, ordered for the decentralisation of power and urged the State Housing Board and the development authorities to submit a proposal in this respect for approval within a week. According to a representative, “the decentralisation of power will be advantageous for landholders to convert the leasehold plots to freehold simply.”
Mahapatra also gave officials a month to address the concerns of those who received housing in the Chandrama Housing Complex in the city.
The General Administration & Public Grievance department has leased 1,105 acres to the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and the Odisha State Housing Board for the implementation of 37 and 44 housing plans, respectively, at various locations within the capital city.
Similar to this, the departments of Revenue & Disaster Management and Housing and Urban Development have leased out numerous acres of public property to Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) for housing projects.
Over 50,000 families in the twin cities are projected to gain from the decentralisation of land conversion power towards the BDA and CDA, according to sources.
Prasanta Patnaik 
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