Bhubaneswar, Feb. 19: A New Delhi-based doctor, who was about to purchase a house in Pokhariput, is now having second thoughts.

This is because a senior official in the housing and urban development department has advised him not to go for the deal as the state government has asked all the agencies concerned not to issue no objection certificate (NOC) for sale or purchase of houses or land in the city.

The NOC on purchase and sale of plots or houses is needed when the owner wants to sell the property.

Sources said the Bhubaneswar Development Authority, Odisha State Housing Board and the general administration department have been instructed not to issue NOC in the wake of the discretionary quota (DQ) controversy involving ownership of multiple properties by a single individual.

The administration department in a notification has asked the housing and land allotment agencies to provide details of all transactions, including the discretionary quota, as the state government has decided to go for a vigilance probe.

"If a person now purchases a property, he or she may land in trouble in future if the property comes under the vigilance probe. So, one should be very cautious as far as buying land is concerned," said a senior official of the development authority.

The state government has also decided to go for a special audit on all allotments by the finance department, which may lead to cancellation of more properties in future.

Public relations officer of the development authority Madhumita Rath said: "The issuance of NOC by the development authority has been stopped for the time till the probe is over. The decision has been taken to prevent any harassment for the public."

State housing board secretary S.S. Nayak said: "The housing board is not issuing any NOC following the controversy as several probes are going on simultaneously. However, in case of property allotted before January 1, 1995 or where multiple ownership is not involved, we might consider it depending on the seriousness of the situation."

However, Nayak advised people not to buy or sell government properties in and around the city till the case is solved.

Resident of Pokhariput and president of the Kalunanda Nagar Residents' Welfare Association Nrupakishore Patnaik said: "It is advisable not to go for any purchase or sale of the government allotment related property in the city as the probe is far from over. As many property transactions are with lifetime savings and investments, one should be extra cautious before going for it."

Real-estate developer and central committee member of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association (India) D.S. Tripathy said: "The discretionary quota system should be abolished as it does not serve any purpose."

Tripathy also said the state government should encourage more participation of real-estate developers in affordable housing schemes, so that people could easily avail themselves of houses.

"For this, the development authority needs to create more land banks and support system around the city for creation of housing infrastructure," he said.