Bhubaneswar, Aug. 14: The development authority has come up with various plans to regulate construction of multi-storey buildings, apartments, group housing projects and commercial buildings in rural areas on the outskirts of the city.

According to the plan, in the rural areas within the jurisdiction of the development authority, regional improvement trust or special planning authority, the authority concerned will approve the building plan within their jurisdiction.

Earlier, this was done by the panchayat samitis and Khurda district administration.

However, in rural areas beyond the jurisdiction of the development authority, the applications for the building plan approval for built-up area exceeding 500 square meter or any two-storey buildings, the panchayat samiti in consultation with Khurda district administration used to do the job.

"The district planning units after receiving the applications, will obtain concurrence of the director, town planning and accordingly communicate with the technical approval to the panchayat samiti concerned for issue of final approval to the applicants," said an official of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority.

However, the structures on built-up area under 500 square meters in areas outside the jurisdiction of the development authority will be exempted from obtaining the plan approval from any authority. In these areas, the panchayat samitis should ensure basic off-site infrastructure such as drains, roads and streetlights.

Bhubaneswar Development Authority vice-chairman Krishan Kumar said the guideline would ensure uniformity in the construction of buildings and houses in rural areas.

"In the absence of a mechanism, the basic infrastructure in the rural areas are built in an unplanned manner, but with the enforcement of the guideline, we will be able to regulate the activity," said Kumar.

Another important aspect of the new rules will be the responsibility of enforcement of construction activities, which will lie with both the panchayat raj institutions and the planning authorities within the jurisdiction of the development authorities.

"There is a need to work in collaboration for successful enforcement of the rules," said another official of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority.

Gothapatana resident Nirod Mohanty said irregular construction was a major problem in the rural areas, mostly those that are close to the capital city.

"In the absence of a proper mechanism, the land owners build houses in an unsystematic manner. This results in bad civic services such as hindrance in road and drain construction. This should be regulated," said Mohanty.