Bhubaneswar: In a major relief to small and medium entrepreneurs, the Odisha government has decided to exempt MSME industrialists from paying land conversion fees and rent, informed Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari today.

He said that entrepreneurs setting up Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state will no longer need to apply for land conversion or pay related charges.

Earlier, MSME entrepreneurs had to pay 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.

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Who is eligible for this facility?

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 lands 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 added.

The decision is expected to ease the financial burden on MSME investors and encourage industrial growth across Odisha.