By BANDANA SETHI, OP
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has warned of strict action against officials found deliberately or unnecessarily delaying building plan approvals across the state.
With a large number of applications for building permits pending before various development authorities, municipal corporations and other urban local bodies, Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, Usha Padhee, has directed officials to clear all pending applications within the stipulated deadlines.
At a meeting held at Kharavela Bhavan Friday, Padhee reviewed the status of pending applications, procedural bottlenecks and delays in building plan approvals. She directed officials to strengthen the digital file-tracking system and introduce an effective mechanism to escalate applications that remain pending beyond the prescribed timelines to higher authorities.
Stressing accountability at every level, Padhee said appropriate action must be taken against officials found guilty of deliberate negligence or avoidable delays. To further streamline the process, she instructed officials to incorporate improved monitoring and accountability mechanisms into the SUJOG platform.
She also advised authorities to avoid repeatedly seeking unnecessary information from applicants and ensure that clear details regarding required documents, approval procedures and timelines are communicated to the public.