Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet on Monday approved the Tourism Department’s new 'Land Bank for Hospitality Infrastructure' scheme aimed at creating a strong foundation for tourism-led economic growth and attracting large-scale investments in the hospitality sector across the state. 

The decision was taken at a State Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.

“A major challenge in developing world-class tourism infrastructure has been the lack of readily available, contiguous, encroachment-free and investment-ready land parcels. To address this gap, the State Cabinet approved the establishment of a dedicated Tourism Land Bank under the Department of Tourism,” the state government said in an official statement.

Under the scheme, approximately 5,500 acres comprising both government and private land parcels will be identified and developed across major tourism destinations in Odisha, including Chilika, Konark, Puri (Shamuka), Dhauli, Hirakud, Satkosia, Similipal, Bhitarkanika, Daringbadi, Deomali, the Buddhist Circuit, Jiranga, Talsari and Tampara-Aryapalli, among others.

These land parcels will be developed with infrastructure such as electricity, water supply and road connectivity, and kept ready for interested investors in the hospitality sector.

Speaking to mediapersons, Chief Secretary Anu Garg said: “We hope that this will be a big boost and will quicken the process of allotting land to such interested parties.”