Land - How to Grab it and Waste it

Was just driving by Uttarakhand Secretariat, and I thought - Why is the government always in need of land when it doesn't even use the land it already owns to its maximum capacity? Uttarkahand has about 65% forest land (please note - that is "land" owned by forest dept, not tree cover) and so avenues for growth and development must perforce be restricted to the remaining 35% including agricultural activity. In such a situation, you would think that a responsible state government would come forth to set an example on optimum land utilization in the state. I don't see that happening. Apart from a blanket ban on vertical development, no one seems to be bothered. 

Built-up area of each piece of land owned by the government must be used to the maximum limit before government considers acquiring more land for whatever purposes. Sprawling offices mimicking resorts is not the work of a responsible government, but space utilisation. Why can't the MDDA build EWS flats for the poor instead of PWD building elaborate edifices satisfying someone's notion of good taste? 

We must adopt a want not waste not policy when it comes to land. And government must set an example.