A delegation of the Odisha State Housing Board Owners’ Association, Rourkela (OSHBOWR) under the leadership of its president Bimal Bisi met Odisha State Housing Board (OSHB) MD Sagarika Pattanayak at its Rourkela office and sought early redressal of its grievances.

During discussion the delegation urged for a full-fledged office of the OSHB at Basanti Colony from where all the works like ownership transfer and bank loan clearance may be done. At present these works are controlled from Bhubaneswar for which the houseowners have to take pain to move to Bhubaneswar office again and again. Besides, the delegation urged for early registration of unregistered houses at Chhend Colony, making early arrangement for free hold of houses, registration of new housing projects and their allotment through lottery instead of auction method.

The MD informed that a process for free hold has already been initiated and a clearance from Law and Revenue departments is expected by March, 2023.

Similarly, for new projects the initial dialogue with the Rourkela ADM has already been taken up for land and very soon some eight-floor buildings with commercial and residential flats will be constructed in Basanti Colony locality. Besides, she also talked to Director, in-charge, Rourkela Steel Plant to provide vacant lands in Steel Township for the new housing projects, Pattanayak said.

She further said that 50% of the houses would be reserved for the SAIL employees and former employees. It may be noted here that for more than two decades neither the Housing Board nor Rourkela Development Authority has made any new housing project in Rourkela.