Govt to set up public sector land management committee

NEW DELHI: The government plans to set up a Committee for the creation of a data-bank of unutilised land currently in possession with Central PSEs (CPSEs).

The plan to set up the " Public Sector Land Management Committee", under the Chairmanship of Secretary of Department of Urban Development, is aimed at making the unutilised land of a CPSE available to another in need for capacity building, a source in the government said.

The government's plan to set up the data-bank is likely to come up in the next meeting of the Cabinet for approval, the source said, adding a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Urban Development would be appointed as the Member Secretary of the Committee.

"With the setting up of the Committee, if a CPSE needs a portion of land, currently belonging to another CPSE, it can directly approach to the Committee for the same. There would be room for barter as well. This will make things easier for all," he said.

The Public Sector Land Management Committee, which would have representation from Planning Commission, Department of Expenditure and Public Enterprises among others, would ensure that the CPSE which would give the land to another gets enough compensation and even a portion of land in lieu of that.

Having land at the right location and at a right time could have solved much of the vexed problems both public and private sector units are currently facing over acquisition of land. The problem to acquire land has often come in the way of expansion of even CPSUs.

Setting up of the Committee would thus be beneficial for a couple of dozens of major CPSEs which have a staggering Rs 1.42 lakh crore investment target towards capex for the current fiscal.