Municipal Corporation Hospital in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, June 29: Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to send a fresh resolution to the housing and urban development department to make it mandatory for builders, property developers and real estate promoters to obtain no objection certificate (NOC) before they sell any property.

The BMC is keen to ensure that without an NOC, no builder should be allowed to get electricity and water connections for any project. The issue was discussed at the BMC’s council meeting which concluded today.

The meeting also decided to put up notice boards near properties which had violated NOC norms advising people not to buy properties there. In the last corporation meeting, a resolution had been passed in this regard, but the state government has not yet responded to the BMC resolution.

A NOC from the civic authority is necessary as the drainage, sewerage and traffic problems arising from any housing project are linked to BMC. It has also been seen several times that people come to BMC when they face civic problems after purchasing houses.

“Parking and drainage problems will go out of control if property developers do not obtain NOCs from the civic authority. So, the state government should take measures to ensure that before getting plan approval from Bhubaneswar Development Authority, property developers take BMC’s nod,’’ said councillor of ward No. 2, Sanjay Kumar Sethi.

Several councillors — Sukumar Sahoo of ward No. 4, Mahamaya Swain of ward No. 47 and Sudhir Ranjan Kar of ward No. 13 — raised questions regarding NOC and demanded that property developers should not be given plan approval by the housing and urban development department unless they produce clearance from the BMC.

The council today also decided not to shift the existing Municipal Corporation Hospital to a new place in Old Town. The move was opposed vehemently by councillors from the Lingaraj Temple area and some other parts of the city.

There was a plan to shift the old hospital from a place behind the Lingaraj Temple to another place near Sanitary Square. However, councillors opposed the move saying that the hospital was historically associated with the place and it was there since the days when the city was just a notified area council (NAC).

“Even before NAC days, the hospital was there as a primary health centre. So, there should not be any change of structure as local residents have been associated with it for generations. If a new hospital is needed, then BMC can build that. But the old hospital should not be relocated,’’ said councillor of ward No. 41 Pratap Kumar Jena.

The council also decided to stop the Rs 10lakh grant for installation of electrical equipment in each ward.

“Now onwards, each ward will get their help on electrical equipment as per its needs and not as an overall funding pattern, as many wards are not having adequate streetlight facilities. Granting equal amounts to every ward for electrical equipment installation is therefore of no logic,’’ said councilor of ward No. 49, Amaresh Jena.