Baripada: An office of the Special Planning Authority (SPA) functions at Murgabadi Golei of Baripada town in Mayurbhanj to look after cases related to land conversion, approval of housing plans and management of town planning in urban areas, but this wing here almost remains paralysed as the post of its head has been vacant for the last eight months. As a result, important files that need to be cleared keep on piling at the office.
Baripada is said to be the oldest town in the state and viewed as a booming town. The town is fast expanding with big and small business establishments coming up.
The Special Town Planning Office, located at Murgabadi Golei, usually grants approval for land conversion and plans for buildings.
Local residents lamented that they have to face a lot of difficulties in getting their works done at the office as the post of the special planning officer is lying vacant.
Bijay Kumar Bhuyan was the special planning officer, but he retired June 30, 2019. Since then, the government has not filled the vacancy, prompting the local residents to accuse the government of neglecting this office.
Reports said over 800 applications related to land conversion have been pending in the office. Besides, 500 files pertaining to building plans are yet to be disposed off. Every day, scores of people come to the office, but have to return home frustrated. Even people are coming from places as far as Rairangpur, Udala and Karanjia. This office is also authorised to grant approvals to building plans and land conversion of those three civic
body areas.
The staff working at the special planning office alleged that they face problems to get salaries as the special planning officer has not been appointed. A local resident lamented, “I have applied for conversion of a farmland to homestead land. I have been frequenting the office for a long time, but to no avail.”As the approval of the land conversion is pending at the office, he has been unable to build his house, he added.
Another resident lamented that his building plan map has got stuck in the office.
Since 1984 till June 2019, the office has approved 7,842 housing plans. Locals, senior citizens and social activists are upset over such state of affairs at the SPA office and have urged the Housing and Urban Development to set things right to ensure smooth delivery of five important services for the urban residents.
