Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, May 22: If you are planning to visit Bhubaneswar Development Authority’s (BDA) office at Sachivalaya Marg, make sure you have good reason to do so as BDA has tightened the screws on the entry of visitors.
The public office is restricting access to the public, with only a few individuals being allowed access to senior officials like the vice-chairman or the secretary of the BDA.
The building regulator’s office, which houses the chambers of BDA VC Krishan Kumar, secretary Ranjan Kumar Das and engineering member Jaymangal Nayak, has introduced a fingerprint entry system to prevent the entry of outsiders into the complex.
However, people can visit other departments situated upstairs such as engineering sub-divisions, finance, enforcement and planning among others.
The move, which was aimed at helping BDA get rid of ‘unscrupulous’ elements, has however come as a hurdle for bona fide citizens coming to the office with complaints related to building plan approvals, land/plot/flat-related issues and the newly-introduced town planning scheme.
Visitors have been restricted to the visitors’ lounge (which does not even have fans) where they have to give a slip to a receptionist. They will be allowed to meet the top brass of BDA only if their reason for visiting is considered to be genuine enough.
When this reporter tried to meet the secretary and vice-chairman, the security guard said meeting time is between 11 am and 12 pm after which nobody is allowed to enter the office. It was only when the secretary Ranjan Das was informed about how people are facing trouble meeting him, did he agree to meet the scribe.
Das said a lot of “unwanted” people were dotting the office chambers thus forcing officials to restrict visitors’ entry.
“The only purpose is to filter the excessive crowd and allow only bona fide visitors. If someone’s grievance is really genuine, s(he) would be certainly allowed to meet BDA higher-ups,” the secretary said. The move has irked visitors including senior citizens who have protested BDA’s move of preventing access to people coming with grievances.
“This is injustice to people who come with genuine grievances. Earlier, we used to seek permission from the secretaries of officials but now we have to first take permission from a receptionist,” a visitor Prakash Satpathy said.
