Odisha Government Reviews Approach Roads for Real Estate Projects in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack
The Odisha government has taken a significant step that could impact multiple real estate projects in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. The decision to review the permissions granted for approach roads to all real estate projects approved in the Twin City in the last five years is a response to a major controversy. This controversy involved the revocation of a project’s registration in the state capital due to allegations that it cited a railway land as its approach road, jeopardizing the investments of several home buyers.
Following the case, Housing and Urban Development (H&UD) Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra instructed the department secretary to provide detailed information on the permissions granted for approach roads to real estate projects. The competent authorities, including the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA), Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Cuttack Development Authority (CDA), and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC), are required to furnish these details under their jurisdictions.
The officials have been asked to provide the building plan approval of the real estate projects, the name of the planning officer who gave the permission, the land schedule of the project, access road specifications (length and breadth), and any no objection certificate (NOC) obtained from the competent authority or private individuals if their land is used as the approach road to the project site.
“It is necessary to ascertain whether any permission for access road on the land of other departments or agencies has been given to real estate projects without NOC from the competent authority,” the minister’s office stated in its letter. The letter also emphasized that access roads on private, SC, or ST land require handing over the land to the government through a registered deed of conveyance before granting the NOC. Projects must be reviewed, and appropriate action taken against those who have not followed the due procedure in obtaining the NOC.
In April this year, the Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA) revoked the registration certificate of the real estate project ‘HN Courtyard’ in Gadakana, stating that the project cannot continue as the approach road to it is on railway land. The Directorate of Estates had also issued notices to both BDA and BMC last year, seeking clarification on the alleged realizations of security deposits from two real estate projects and allowing access to approach roads on government land without consent from the General Administration department.
This review is expected to bring transparency and accountability to the real estate sector in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, ensuring that all projects adhere to the necessary norms and regulations. It is a crucial step towards protecting the interests of home buyers and maintaining the integrity of the real estate market in these cities.
