(Top) People stand outside the tax block on the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation premises and (above) office of Bhubaneswar Development Authority. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 12: The municipal corporation and the development authority here have started the process to decentralise their administrative mechanism to deliver quick services to the people.

Three branch offices, headed by deputy commissioners of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, will be opened across the city shortly. On all the three premises, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority, too, will have its offices, so that the two agencies could work in close co-ordination.

The decision to open three branches of the development body was taken at the authority meeting on Wednesday. At the corporation’s meeting yesterday, it was decided to empower the deputy commissioners at the proposed zonal offices, so that they could attend to the grievances of people.

Municipal commissioner Krishan Kumar, who is also the development body’s vice-chairman, said: “The three zonal offices will co-exist with the three branch offices of the corporation, so that people can have their problems addressed to. The work and responsibilities of the public bodies are inter-related. We have already started identifying space for the premises with 5,000sqft area each for the development body and the civic body.”

Sources said the corporation has also decided to delegate administrative powers from the commissioner to the two additional commissioners, so that they would be able to take up the responsibilities and the commissioner will get more time to concentrate on policy matters.

Work under the sections of holding tax, land matters, enforcement and eviction, cattle drive, market, medical equipment and user fees, park and plantation, health and sanitation, slum rehabilitation, licence and hoarding and all projects will be under the supervision of the additional commissioner D. Brundha. Marriage registration, RTI, census, national population registry, civic, Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, establishment, bills, marriage mandaps and yatri nivas, night shelter and corporation matters would be handled by Krushna Prasad Pati.

“By decentralising power, the commissioner has paved the way to get more time to think about changes at the policy level and for futuristic development of the city,” said senior councillor and chairman of the standing committee on works Amaresh Jena.

Another official said: “The three zonal offices of the corporation will have three deputy commissioners and they will be taking charge of all responsibilities of those localities, so that people do not need to come to the main office. It will also help in the better delivery of services.”

The municipal commissioner said: “We are going to empower the deputy commissioners in such way that they will act as municipal commissioners in their respective zones.”

BDA plan

Like the corporation, there will be three zonal offices of the development body. Three executive engineers will be placed in the field and will directly supervise their work from the zonal office. The main office will deal with subjects such as comprehensive development plan and zonal development plan.

The board of the authority has decided to open a section for the town-planning scheme, so that the land availability for mega projects for overall development of the development authority’s area will be easier.

Through the town-planning scheme, the authority will take over underdeveloped land from private owners. It will develop the area and provide required infrastructure. Once it is developed, it will deduct land for infrastructure requirement and return the developed plot to the landowner.

The government will not need to acquire land. The scheme is running successfully in states such as Gujarat.