InfrastructureLatest Stories

Eviction Drives by Bhubaneswar Body in Patia, Kalarahanga

BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) ramped up its efforts to reclaim government land from encroachers by conducting consecutive anti-encroachment drives in the Patia and Kalarahanga regions. On Monday, during the demolition operation in Patia, officials dismantled a 50-foot boundary wall and various concrete structures, successfully reclaiming 50 decimals of land. The significance of the Patia drive was underscored by the illegal occupation of the right-of-way for Patia College Road, which had been disrupting daily traffic. Authorities expect commutes to improve as a result. In Kalarahanga, officials took down two under-construction shops and two water tanks, freeing up an additional…

Latest StoriesResidential

OSHB, BDA Allocate 1,600+ Plots in Bhubaneswar

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha State Housing Board (OSHB) and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) have collectively allocated over 1,600 plots and homes under various housing schemes in the capital over the past thirty years. In response to a question from legislator Manorama Mohanty, state housing and urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra shared this information in the assembly. The OSHB has allocated 692 plots and houses in two significant schemes. Among these, 460 units under MIG and HIG categories were distributed in the Satyasai Enclave scheme at Mouza Aiginia, while 232 HIG units were granted under the Dharma Vihar scheme at…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Bhubaneswar: 201 ‘Illegal’ Homes Demolished for Road Project

BHUBANESWAR: On Wednesday, enforcement teams from the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), and the works department dismantled 201 more illegal structures in Salia Sahi, the largest slum in the city, during the second day of a special demolition and eviction campaign aimed at facilitating a new left parallel road. BMC officials reported that a total of 283 homes have been demolished over the past two days. BMC is planning to finish demolishing the remaining 510 identified houses within the next two days, along with relocating the affected families on Friday. “The eviction operation is set to…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Odisha HC Orders Shantipalli Basti Residents to Vacate for Project

BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa High Court has ordered the residents of Shantipalli Basti in Bhubaneswar to vacate their homes and relocate to designated temporary accommodations. This move is aimed at facilitating the completion of the Shantipalli Awas Yojana, a significant in-situ slum redevelopment initiative under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). Justice Sanjeeb K Panigrahi delivered this ruling in response to several petitions from beneficiaries of the project. He upheld the legal transfer of land to the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and validated the State Level Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee’s decision to set the beneficiary contribution at Rs 1.5 lakh per…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

Odisha HC Permits Vigilance Court Trial in BDA Scam Case

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has upheld a vigilance court’s ruling that denied the discharge of former officials involved in the 2014 Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) plot allotment scandal, affirming that sufficient evidence exists for the trial to move forward. Justice Chittaranjan Dash rejected criminal revision petitions put forth by Bibhuti Bhusan Ray and Prakash Chandra Patra, along with two co-defendants, contesting the November 23, 2024 order from the additional special judge (vigilance) in Bhubaneswar. The petitions sought to dismiss charges related to the alleged irregular allotment of 10 commercial plots in Chandrasekharpur. In his judgment on November 12, Justice…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Bhubaneswar Upholds Demolition of Unauthorised 5-Storey Building

BHUBANESWAR: The housing and urban development department has rejected an appeal from a promoter and a group of homebuyers, affirming the Bhubaneswar Development Authority’s (BDA) decision to demolish an unauthorized five-storey residential building in Andilo, Balianta. The case highlighted a deliberate attempt by the promoter and buyers to circumvent regulatory requirements. It is alleged that the promoter constructed the building without BDA approval, using an outdated building plan from the Balianta gram panchayat, which was valid before the area came under BDA jurisdiction in 2011. Despite not securing the necessary no-objection certificates (NOCs), the promoter allegedly proceeded with construction and…

Latest StoriesResidential

Bhubaneswar: BDA Orders Defaulting Homeowners to Pay Fees

BHUBANESWAR: To protect the interests of allottees of a major housing project in the city, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has reaffirmed its earlier decision, requiring occupants with outstanding monthly maintenance fees to settle dues exceeding Rs 2 lakh within a month. Some occupants have refused to pay these fees, arguing that the project is still under the builder’s control and has not been fully handed over to the association, claiming that there is no registered association of allottees per legal requirements. Nevertheless, the project located in Sijua, Patrapada, was among the first to receive its occupancy certificate and established…

InfrastructureLatest Stories

Odisha Approves Town Planning Scheme-8

BHUBANESWAR: The state government has made a notable advancement in urban planning by approving the draft of Town Planning Scheme-8. This approval was publicized in the Odisha Gazette on Friday. Covering an area of 560.86 acres in the Andharua and Daspur mouzas, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) will execute the TP scheme. This initiative is a vital portion of the state’s urban growth strategy and includes the development of Bhubaneswar New City. Originally declared on January 30, 2014, the intent for TP-8 was followed by a meeting with landowners on January 21 this year, and the draft plan was released…

Latest StoriesRegulatory

SC calls Bhubaneswar development body on certificate issuance

BHUBANESWAR: The Supreme Court has summoned the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) to explain the controversial occupancy certificate (OC) issued for Odisha’s first public-private partnership (PPP) real estate project. The project, initiated by the Odisha State Housing Board (OSHB), is currently facing legal and regulatory issues that raise serious questions about compliance and governance in the state’s real estate landscape. As per the case details, the project has been embroiled in a lengthy legal battle due to alleged fraudulent activities and regulatory failures. A timeline of events shows numerous missteps and disputes. In 2018, the builder started handing over possession without…

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Bhubaneswar: Action Plan for 498 Acres of Encroached Land

BHUBANESWAR: A total of 498 acres of government land in the capital city has been encroached, with Jaydev Vihar alone accounting for 148 acres, as revealed in Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s written response in the assembly on Monday. According to the reply, “A Central Enforcement Monitoring Committee (CEMC) has been established to tackle encroachment issues.” This information came in response to Jatni MLA Bibhuti Bhusan Balabantaray’s query regarding land encroachment in Bhubaneswar and the measures being taken for their removal. “The government is filing cases under the Odisha Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act to address encroachments,” the…