A house at Metro Satellite City on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 8: A group of people, who purchased plots from a private builder whose project was approved by the development authority, have filed complaints in the planning body’s grievance cell alleging harassment.

They said the builder was making unfair demands in the name of development of infrastructure and additional facilities at Metro Satellite City on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar on NH-5.

“They are asking for additional fees. When we want to enter the housing complex, the security persons are not allowing us to do so and asking us to take permission of the site staff deployed by the builder,” said Kantiranjan Mahato, a former principal scientist with Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack.

“We have already got the plan approved from Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and we want to construct house in our plots. But the developer is not allowing us to do anything,” Mahato said.

Prafulla Kumar Das, a local resident and employee of the National Bank for Rural Development (Nabard), Shimla, said: “I paid for my plot and got the papers in 2004. But in 2010, the real estate developers demanded Rs 1.7 lakh as development fees towards infrastructure facilities. However, the figure became Rs 4 lakh in 2013.”

Saying the real-estate company never consulted the plot owners before taking up development, Das said: “Even after several meetings with the directors of the company and assurances to reduce the demand from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh, no letter was issued by the officials. In fact, we were ready to pay Rs 2.5 lakh but officials of the builder showed us drafts of some undertaking to be executed by the land owners. The clauses were so tricky that we withdrew at the last moment.”

Former stenographer of Grid Corporation of Odisha (Gridco) Daniel Nayak narrated a different story. In 1998, the builder had allotted plots to him and his daughter and they even had the land documents regarding ownership. However, in 2003 Nayak was informed that his and his daughter’s plots had been relocated.

The real-estate agency had developed a row of duplex houses in the place and had given plots in a different locality to them. “I first refused to take the plot as it was near a sewerage treatment plant. However, the real-estate developer said I might lose the deal if I did not accept the new plot,” said Nayak, who retired 16 years ago.

He said the real-estate company staff were not letting them enter the area unless they deposited Rs 4 lakh.