Bhubaneswar: In a major relief to entrepreneurs setting up small and medium scale industries, the Odisha government has decided to exempt the MSME sector from paying land conversion fees and rent.
Announcing the decision on Friday, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said entrepreneurs setting up micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the state need not apply for land conversion or pay related charges any more.
MSME entrepreneurs have so far been paying one per cent of the land’s benchmark value as a conversion fee, along with an additional one per cent as rent. Both these charges have now been waived off by the state government.
However, this facility will be available only to units that are registered on the central government’s MSME portal and have been approved by the respective district-level committee.
The exemption will not apply to land located in protected, defence, or archaeological zones. If any entrepreneur deviates from the declared industrial purpose, the allotted land will be taken back by the government, the Minister said.
Officials said the move is likely to ease the financial burden on investors in the MSME sector and encourage industrial growth across the state.
