BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government has identified nearly 5,500 acre of land in and around the capital city for development of IT parks, towers and electronic manufacturing facilities under the public-private partnership (PPP) model.
Though several IT and semiconductor companies have evinced keen interest to set up their units in Odisha, the state government had been facing a unique challenge of land allotment for the last few years.
Sources said the land parcels have been identified in Mundali area (980 acre), Kuaput Hills, Haldipada (1,694 acre), Aranga (1,504 acre), Aragul (874.5 acre) and XIM University square (441.5 acre). Plug-and-play infrastructure has been planned in existing and upcoming commercial towers to ensure faster rollout for new investors.
Chief secretary Manoj Ahuja, during a recent high-level meeting, directed the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) and Khurda administration to take steps for acquisition of the land parcels at the earliest. Once the land acquisition is completed, the government will consider allotting land at special prices to reputed IT, ITeS and ESDM companies proposing to set up large-scale operations in the state.
Officials said besides large tracts of land on the city outskirts, smaller parcels of land within the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) limits will also be utilised to set up IT parks and multi-storey IT towers. These land parcels will cater to startups, medium enterprises and service companies in need of ready-to-move office space.
The chief secretary also laid emphasis on expediting the completion of built-up facilities at Infovalley and Infocity, the state’s two flagship IT parks, apart from the proposed IT towers including NBCC tower, OBCC tower, OMC tower and Chandaka IT tower.
IDCO has been directed to complete construction of the proposed IT towers on priority. The meeting has also decided to urge the East Coast Railway (ECoR) to earmark dedicated space for IT and ITeS companies in the upcoming new complex at the Bhubaneswar railway station.
“These towers should be expeditiously completed and kept ready for allotment to applicants. The aim is to provide ready infrastructure to companies without the long wait for spaces,” Ahuja stressed.
It was also decided to bring back unused land from various larger IT units and developers such as DLF, where necessary growth has not been achieved as envisaged and a large portion of land parcel is lying vacant for long.
Meanwhile, IDCO has been directed to operationalise a GIS-based land management system, which will have superimposed layers of forest land over Bhulekh records, enabling quick reference for officials during project clearances.
Expanding tech infra
Land parcels identified in Mundali, Kuaput Hills, Haldipada, Aranga, Aragul and XIM varsity square
Plug-and-play infra planned in existing, upcoming commercial towers to ensure faster rollout for new investors
Large land tracts on city outskirts, smaller land parcels under BMC to be used to set up IT parks
ECoR to be urged to earmark space in upcoming complex at Bbsr rly station for IT, ITeS companies