The State Coastal Zone Management Authority (SCZMA) issued a notice to a hotel on the beach of Puri for CRZ norms violation.
The SCZMA also took a serious note of the lapses of the district administration in allowing construction to rise up to six stairs illegally.
The six-storied building on the beach near Chakratirtha area, which is at final stage of construction, would face brunt of bulldozers with criminal actions against its owner. The coast regulatory body observed that the Environmental Protection (EP) Act had been breached blatantly by the hotelier.
Reportedly, the district Collector and the Sub-Collector are only two designated officers of district to deal with sea coast under their limits.
Sources said the premises was presently under occupation of a servitor of the Jagannath Temple who had many hotels in the city. The place having an old house there earlier had sought permission from the Puri Konark Development Authority (PKDA) for plan up to three stairs. With allotment of plan by the PKDA to the occupant upon his request, the bidder started works and raised it up to six floors by being hand in glove with officials in violation of the CRZ guidelines.
Sources said a few months ago when a complaint was made for crossing the approved three stairs, the administration swung into action and simply clamped 144 there. But despite the order to maintain status quo restricting further works, the bidder went on constructing up to six stairs breaching the approved limits.
However, the SCZMA issued order to the administration, after it got a complaint, to take criminal actions against owner and the developer.