BHUBANESWAR: With all key posts in the Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA) including that of chairman lying vacant, the state government on Monday appointed the principal secretary, Housing and Urban Development department as its regulatory authority.
As per the notification of the H&UD department, the principal secretary will remain the regulatory authority of ORERA as per the provisions of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016 until further orders.
The ORERA functions with three senior officials - a chairman and two members -- member (judicial) and member (administration). After ORERA chairman Siddhanta Das resigned on February 28, the H&UD department had appointed member (judicial) Gopal Chandra Patnaik as the acting chairperson. Patnaik retired on May 9, a week after the retirement of member (administration) Pradeep Biswal, leaving the authority headless.
Sources said though a three-member panel has shortlisted names and submitted it to the state government for appointment to the three positions, some home buyers, owing to the delay in appointment, moved the Orissa High Court and the Supreme Court and the matter is now sub-judice in the HC. The principal secretary of the H&UD department has been appointed as the regulatory authority for the body as a temporary measure, they added.
Real estate expert Bimalendu Pradhan, however, raised apprehension over the delay in the appointment of permanent authority in ORERA, stating that the unprecedented situation will continue to hamper the interest of the home buyers and other stakeholders.
“Though administrative work may continue as usual following the appointment of the H&UD secretary as the ORERA authority, works such as hearing of complaints, extension of project registrations and registration of agents will continue to remain affected. The forensic audit of projects to safeguard the home buyers, initiated by ORERA a few months back, may also be hampered,” Pradhan added.
As names for appointment to the posts have already been shortlisted, he said, the permanent authority must be placed at the earliest to set things in order.