Cuttack: The Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) has found fault in the Taradatt committee report with regard to the alleged illegal allocation of plots and flats under the discretionary quota.
CDA authorities have claimed that 35 plots had been allocated to private parties as per the existing guidelines. However, the report submitted by Taradatt committee had described the allocations as illegal.
As per the norms, separate plots cannot be allocated to couples and no minor can acquire a plot under the discretionary quota, but the guidelines do not prohibit allocation of separate plots to siblings, said CDA after concluding a probe into the issue recently.
Notably, the Taradatt panel had objected to the allocation of 134 plots by the CDA. The civic body has so far cancelled the allocation of 35 plots in two phases. It has also initiated a process to cancel the allocation of seven more plots.
“We will not cancel the allocation of 35 plots where no wrongdoing was found during the probe. We have sought legal opinion on 38 plots where Taradatt panel had found certain irregularities,” said CDA administrative officer Ramkanta Kar.
A few social activists, however, claimed that the CDA was under tremendous pressure from some influential people to cover up the irregularities made in the allocation of plots and flats under the discretionary quota.
It is worth mentioning that irregularities in the distribution of plots and flats by CDA, Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and the Housing Board came to the fore in 2014.
Soon after, the state government constituted a committee led by then Revenue department secretary Taradatt to look into the irregularities. The committee submitted its report in November 2014.
The state government had decided to cancel the allocation of plots and flats made after January 1, 1995 based on the report.
