The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has committed multiple irregularities in approving building plans in the city, according to a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
The BDA had in April 2009 accorded permission in favour of a builder for construction of multi-storey buildings over plot 51 and 364 of Goutamnagar Mouza with built up area of 6,70,532 square feet in contravention with the norm that no such construction to be allowed with approach road less than 59 feet width. The report pointed out that the two plots were adjacent to 30 feet wide road towards rear side (east side) of the building. The plan was approved on the basis of accessible means of 150 feet wide road.
It said the Plot No 365 of Nayanjori category lies in between the plots of 51 and 364 and with 80 feet width road connecting the National Highway 203. “This indicates that the plot of the builder did not adjoin 150 feet wide road and had no approach road of required width, as indicated in the approved plan. But, the plan was approved by showing Government plot 465 as road in layout plan,” it observed.
Similarly, it said the plan was approved without assessing the distance from the NH. Though the approved location plan indicated that the site of construction was adjacent to NH 203, yet the same was not assessed by BDA before approving the building. It was revealed that construction of multi-storied building, including commercial building, was within 100 metre distance from the centre of the NH. “Thus such plan approval was irregular and the BDA extended undue favour to the builder to construct a multi-storied building in prime location with potential sale value,” it pointed out.
Similarly, the BDA in December 2008 allowed the builders for construction of multi-storey buildings in the Heritage Zone of 18 villages, including Goutam Nagar, by amending PBSR 2008 and again imposed restrictions in October 2013. “Through such permissions, the BDA only favoured the builders to construct multi-storey buildings jeopardising the objective of systematic development of Bhubaneswar through CDP,” it remarked.
“The BDA Vice-Chairman in September 2013 stated that considering the demand of stakeholders, the restriction had been lifted through amendment of the PBSR with approval of the Department. The reply indicated that PBSR had been amended to suit the stakeholders overlooking systematic development of the area as envisaged in the CDP,” it said.
“Stating that General Power of Attorney (GPA) holders are only authorised for approval of building on behalf of land owners, the CAG said in case of approval of building plan of a multi-storey building, though different patches of land were owned jointly by two firms and one private person and one of the directors of said builder was the GPA holder of other two land owners, yet building plan for 6,70,532 sft multi-storey was approved in favour of the said director-cum-GPA. Thus, approval of building plan by BDA in favour of the GPA holder instead of the owners of the plots was not in order and thereforr was irregular,” the CAG observed.
In another case, though the BDA in May 2008 refused plan approval for construction of a Ground +2 storey building on Plot No N 3/424 at Jaydev Vihar due to unauthorised construction of ground floor encroaching 369 square feet of Government land, yet it didn’t take any action for demolition of the building or to stop further unauthorised construction. The owner had constructed G+2 building with built up area of 7,270 sft without obtaining any permission. The report said four out of six builders completed the construction of buildings without obtaining conditional permission of making provision of sewerage, drainage, water supply and road and completed the construction of main buildings while two builders completed the buildings thought the BDA permitted construction till up to plinth level only. No action was taken by the BDA for such violations.
Similarly, two builders Plot No A-411 at Saheed Nagar Vilage and Plot No 170 in Chandrasekharpur village constructed one extra floor each in excess of approved plan and another builder constructed Stilt+1 building on Plot No225/2304 and others in Govind Prasad village thought plan was approved for Basement 3. The BDA had not taken any remedial measures. Two builders on Plot No 2723/3280 in Andharua village and Plot No A-411 Saheed Nagar misused the parking areas by utilising them for commercial/education purpose as noticed in March 2014.
The BDA didn’t initiate action for demolition of unauthorised construction in the parking space. Audit noticed that in all five test checked cases, where constructions were completed, the buildings were occupied without obtaining occupancy certificates and the BDA was unable to take any effective action to ensure compliance to the concerned regulation.
The BDA also didn’t forfeit security deposits of Rs2.76 lakh from two buildings, one at Govindnagar and another at Andharua village, which were constructed in contravention to the approved plan.