Bhubaneswar: In a significant step towards strengthening the foundations of sustainable urbanisation, the Housing & Urban Development Department convened a high-level session on urban land management at Kharavela Bhawan underscoring the pivotal role of land as a strategic resource in Odisha’s journey towards a Viksit Odisha.
Hari Ballav Mishra, IAS (Retd.), delivered a comprehensive presentation, drawing upon his extensive administrative experience to elucidate the evolving legal, administrative, and policy dimensions of urban land management.
Setting the tone, H&UD Additional Chief Secretary and IDCO Chairperson Usha Padhee underscored that strategic and informed land management is central to building sustainable, future-ready cities and achieving the vision of a Viksit Odisha. She highlighted the need for a deeper understanding of land categories, regulatory frameworks, and innovative mechanisms such as land value capture to fully leverage urban land assets.
The session covered key land categories in Odisha, including Nazul, Khasmahal, Government Khas Possession (GKPB), and leasehold cases, emphasising their optimal utilisation in a rapidly urbanising context.
Director of Municipal Administration Arindam Dakua , all Additional Secretaries and other senior officials attended the session, which also saw active participation from Collectors, Municipal Commissioners, and officers from Revenue and GA Departments, both physically and virtually.
Mishra shared practical insights into legal and administrative aspects of land management, stressing clarity in legacy classifications and evolving policy frameworks.
The deliberations highlighted land value capture as a sustainable financing tool for urban infrastructure, with discussions focused on leveraging land resources for planned growth and improved service delivery.
The Department reaffirmed its commitment to capacity building and knowledge-sharing to strengthen transparent and efficient urban land management across Odisha.
