CAG audit finds over 12,000 acres of industrial land idle in Odisha

A performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India uncovered that 12,393.651 acres of land earmarked for industrial and allied activities in Odisha between 1981 and 2021 have not been developed, and an additional 252.692 acres are being used for purposes other than those approved. The Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation, the agency responsible for allocating industrial plots, had allotted a total of 50,231.849 acres as of March 2024, but ineffective monitoring and missing utilisation clauses in lease deeds have hampered enforcement.

The Revenue and Disaster Management Department does not maintain a database of allotted land, and neither Idco nor district collectors have surveyed utilisation status. The audit also found 668.893 acres of government land under unauthorised occupation, 504.768 acres of agricultural land used for non-agricultural activities, and 568.876 acres of forest land converted without central approval, including plots within the Balukhand wildlife sanctuary and Eco-Sensitive Zones. It recommended forming village-wise land banks, tightening lease conditions, and resuming idle land to prevent further encroachment.