Vishwas Dass
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, April 2: The comptroller and auditor general (CAG) has rapped the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) for not turning the heat on 84 multi-storied buildings in the city that have blatantly violated building bylaws.
The list includes some influential persons owning prominent educational institutes, apartment blocks, commercial establishments and healthcare institutes.
In the past two years BDA has demolished only a few illegal multi-storied buildings and slapped notices on owners of 30 high rises that have breached building bylaws.
The CAG letter has revealed that 52 apartments were built without plan approval from BDA, nine were constructed unathorisedly on government land and an equal number with more floors than approved by the building regulator. Besides, there are 14 high rises where construction continued despite permission being cancelled.
The report states that 19,846 cases were registered with BDA against illegal / deviated construction. These include 437 high-rises for deviating from the building plan, or non-approval of plan. Of these, demolition orders were passed in 5,687 cases. “The BDA has not taken any action against 4,025 cases in the last five years, even after issuing demolition orders,” it said.
BDA authorities have claimed that illegal portions of around six major buildings have been pulled down in the last one-and-a-half years, while 30 showcause notices have been sent to the violators, asking why action should not be initiated against them for violating the Orissa Development Authority (ODA) Act, 1982.
Allegations have repeated been made about BDA employees acting in connivance with land sharks, saying that because of this there is a sharp spurt in unauthorised construction activities in Bhubaneswar.
“We have asked our planning wing to assess how many cases are pending with Amnesty court of BDA under which illegal cases can be regularised under certain sections. We can’t issue demolition orders when they are pending with Amnesty. Action is being taken against land sharks,” BDA spokesperson Madhumita Rath said.
“Unauthorised construction of apartments, shopping complexes and malls, as well as encroachment upon drains, roads, government lands even in flood prone zones, heritage zones and environment sensitive zones are taking place because of BDA’s inaction,” the report said.
The prominent names that have been mentioned in the CAG letter include Srikhetra Builders Private Limited, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), Nirumpama Apartment, Z Engineers Private Limited, The World, SJ Developers, Hitech Medical, Shrabani Construction and Pal Heights.