BHUBANESWAR : Getting a building plan approved in the Capital is set to get simplified with the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) deciding to hire a private firm to deal with the applications.
The BDA recently appointed a private firm to handle the approval applications. The firm will set up two offices, one within the city and another on the outskirts towards Khurda, where applications will be received. Until recently, hardly 10 per cent of the total highrises in the city had applied for building plan approval.
Sources said the two offices are expected to be fully operational in about two months. The move is aimed at not only making the process hassle-free but also create greater transparency in the system, a BDA official said.
The Orissa Development Authorities (ODA) Act, 1982 mandates that building plan should be approved by the development authorities within two months of submission of the application. The applicant has to pay a nominal fee for the service.
The private firm will help overcome problems that the BDA has been grappling with over the years. The planning section is hard-pressed to process the applications within the mandated time period due to manpower shortage.
On the other hand, keeping its promise of making building plan approvals public, BDA’s official website now contains a detailed status report of all the highrises which have applied for building plan approval. With the plan approval details accessible on public forum, real estate developers too are expected to strictly adhere to the norms.