SAMBALPUR: REVENUE and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari on Monday said the Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) Act will be amended to facilitate smooth purchase and sale of land in the state.
After a surprise visit to the sub registrar office in Sambalpur, Pujari said the RERA guidelines clearly state the purposes for which part plots can be sold by an individual. However, the Sambalpur Development Authority (SDA) has put a complete restriction on sale of part plots and a letter in this regard has also been sent to the district sub registrar (DSR).
“Considering the development plan of Sambalpur, buying and selling of part plots should be allowed for the development of real-estate sector in the district. Moreover, many people are unable to sell a part of their land for emergency purposes like marriage of children or medical reasons. I have spoken to the district collector in this regard and asked him to discuss the matter with DSR and SDA authorities to resume dealing of part plots as per the provisions of RERA,” the minister said.
Pujari pointed out that there are several misconceptions regarding RERA owing to which people face problems while buying or selling land across the state.
“I have discussed with the Inspector General of Revenue (IGR). Soon, the Revenue as Urban Development departments and IGR will convene a meeting to decide on the changes and revision needed in the RERA Act for better convenience of public,” he said.
Talking about his surprise visit, the minister said the sub registrar office is visited by people to avail services but they are often compelled to pay bribe to get their work done. “I had received many such complaints due to which I made a visit today to review the functioning of the DSR office,” he said.
Pujari said outsourcing agencies have been engaged for e-registration process in many districts and people have raised complaints of corruption against them.
“To address these concerns, I have asked the officials to maintain a register to collect feedback and experiences of the public coming to the DSR office. In case there are issues related to services, the DSR should be informed and the issues resolved,” Pujari said. The minister, however, stated that in the event the DSRs fail to act on the complaints or do not report it to higher authorities, they too will face strict action.