Bhubaneswar, June 22: The development authority today decided that it would not approve the plan of a building unless the layout of the area, where the construction is supposed to come up, is finalised and had its prior nod.
The decision came into force from today. The decision was taken at the 129th regulatory committee meeting, chaired by housing and urban development minister Puspendra Singh Deo.
After the meeting, Singh Deo said: "The Bhubaneswar Development Authority will scrutinise each building plan before giving its approval. Unless the layout of that area, where the building is supposed to come up, is not finalised, the authority will not approve the building plan."
The housing and urban development minister further said: "Earlier, we used to issue building plans. But, it started creating many problems."
Source said the development authority took the decision after it had been flooded with complaints of drainage, encroachment of roads and lack of other facilities in various areas, where many buildings had come up. "So far building construction is concerned, the layout plan is most important at this moment," said an official.
Henceforth, those, who will go for construction of new houses, will have to be equipped with the area development plan. Only then, they will be allowed to go for construction activities, said an official.
Sources said the steps were being taken keeping the comprehensive development plan prepared by the IIT, Kharagpur. According to the comprehensive plan, the state government will set up a Capital Regional Development Authority.
The development authority has also decided to build 5,500 low-cost houses for the poor at Ghatikia, Chandrasekharpur, Jayadev Bihar, Pandara and Phunakhara. The government has accorded the land free of cost to the development authority.
In yet another major decision, the authority decided to expedite sending showcause notices to the beneficiaries, who got more than one houses and plots under the discretionary quota.
Vice-chairman of the authority Krishan Kumar said: "We have submitted all the relevant files to the vigilance. Besides, we have issued showcause notices to nearly 300 people. All processes will be over by June 30."
In order to produce more architects in the state, the authority has decided to enter into an MoU with the College of Engineering and Technology (CET) to start courses on architecture.
Nearly 6,001 allotments have been made since 1995 from the Bhubaneswar Development Authority, its Cuttack counterpart and the Odisha State Housing Board under the discretionary quota. Out of this, 1,791 were cases of multiple allotments, including 803 by the Bhubaneswar Development authority, 921 by the Cuttack Development Authority and 67 by the board. The allotments are likely to be cancelled.
The state vigilance department is inquiring into the multiple allotments of plots/houses/flats and will act against violators under the relevant provisions of criminal law where false affidavits had been submitted or misleading information given.
The inquiry is being held on the recommendation of the task force, led by senior IAS officer Taradatt, probing into the discretionary quota row.