Bhubaneswar, Oct 31: Odisha government on Friday announced a complete waiver of land conversion fees and rent charges for industries registered under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) category.

The decision was announced by Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari. It aims to simplify the process for entrepreneurs to set up industries in the state and reduce their initial financial burden.

Until now, entrepreneurs were required to pay 1% of the benchmark value of the land as conversion fees and an additional 1% of the fee as rent as well. With the latest policy change, both these charges have been fully waived for eligible MSMEs.

Only those enterprises that are registered on the Central Government’s Udyam portal and have been approved by the respective District Level Committees will be eligible for this benefit.

However, the exemption will not apply to restricted or protected zones such as forest areas, defense lands, coastal regulation zones (CRZ), or archaeological sites where other legal provisions are in force.

It was further clarified that if an entrepreneur deviates from the stated purpose of land use, the land will be reverted to the government.