With a number of large plots in various zones under the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) being subdivided and sold out to individuals without taking permission of the authority, it has been decided to initiate action against the builders and developers engaged in preparing plots of land and selling them without due permission of the BDA.
BDA Vice-Chairman Krishan Kumar has asked officials to undertake a survey to list out the unauthorised layouts made in the Bhubaneswar Development Plan Area.
Dr Kumar has also asked all the registered builders and developers to submit affidavits stating that they would not indulge in selling plots from unauthorised layouts. Any deviation would attract penal actions including ‘blacklisting’ the errant builders and developers, warned the BDA Vice-Chairman.
Unplanned growth is mostly evident on the outskirts of the capital city, and in a majority of the cases subdivision of land has been made without providing minimum road and provision of roadside drain.
As per the BDA Regulations, the roads left within the layout area are required to be developed and free-gifted to the competent and local authorities.
Since most of the original landowners or developers are not available for free-gifting of road lands, the end users are facing lots of difficulties to construct their houses with due approval of building plans by the BDA.
Though the BDA has been alerting the public not to purchase plots from unauthorised layouts, many people are still continuing to purchase plots from these layouts.
As per Section 116 of the Odisha Development Authority (ODA) Act, no transfer of part of plot can be made through registration by the revenue authorities without clearance from the concerned Development Authority within its jurisdiction.
This provision is a strong arm to curb unauthorised and unplanned land subdivision and its sale without providing basic amenities. However, way back in 1985, citing the reason of delay in disposal of the applications by the Development Authorities, this section was deleted from the Act.
In the advent of technology, now the disposal of such applications for clearance to transfer the property from the Development Authorities may not be an issue.
So, the BDA would move the State Government to incorporate the deleted Section 116 of the ODA Act. The BDA would also request the Department of Revenue not to allow registration and mutation of part plots, which have not been subdivided in a planned manner, said a BDA official. Authorities have pressed several laws into action in view of the continuing ownership voilations.