BHUBANESWAR: In an unexpected development, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority has approved a building plan for a five-storey structure in Andilo, Balianta, on the outskirts of the city, despite a demolition order previously issued by the housing and urban development department.
This approval, reportedly granted in December last year, has faced significant backlash from landowners, raising concerns about adherence to legal and regulatory directives that declared the structure unauthorized and mandated its demolition.
Documents indicate that the residential building was erected without the necessary building plan approval from the BDA or a no-objection certificate from the water resources department, as the access road crosses through a canal embankment area. The BDA formally rejected the promoter’s application for plan approval in May 2019, resulting in enforcement proceedings under the Odisha Development Authorities Act, which ordered a halt to construction in 2018. Nevertheless, construction persisted.
Following its completion, the flats were sold, leading to legal disputes. In June 2022, the Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA) ruled the construction illegal and instructed that the flats be vacated. By June 2023, ORERA awarded Rs 2 crore in compensation to buyers against the promoter.
In April 2025, the housing and urban development department upheld BDA’s enforcement action and ordered the demolition of the unauthorized building.
However, in July 2025, the Orissa High Court acknowledged that residents were occupying the building and ordered status quo, without nullifying the findings of its illegality.
The building consists of 16 3-BHK flats, with 10 families currently residing there, having purchased the units for Rs 30 lakh each.
The recent approval by the BDA’s planning wing has sparked controversy. Landowners allege that the approval was granted without adequate hearings and disregarded the urban development department’s demolition order, which is under review by the high court. They also claimed that BDA officials delayed providing information under the Right to Information Act and only disclosed the approval during a later appeal hearing. One complainant, Bandita Singh, expressed, “This is completely illegal and we oppose it. The promoter ignored all regulations, yet approval was given, which is shocking.”
Landowners are now seeking the intervention of the BDA vice-chairman, demanding the cancellation of the approval and accountability for the officials involved. The BDA has not yet issued an official statement regarding this matter.
