The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to create awareness on the building plan approval system among residents and builders especially to safeguard home buyers.
The move came after the corporation noticed that the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) has been providing plan approval to building, which the BMC is supposed to do. As per rules, BMC should give plan approval for low-risk buildings having a built up area of up to 5,000 square feet.
The matter was discussed at a recent meeting of planning and development standing committee of the BMC following which officials have drawn up plans to create awareness for the building plan approval system among residents. “We have decided to take up the matter with BDA first and analyse the number of such applications received and approved by it till now from the date we got the power to give building plan approval,” chairman of the committee Sridhar Jena said.
Jena said they will also get all the pending applications from the BDA and process them through BMC’s officials. “We have decided to collect the fees received by BDA except the scrutiny fee and process the pending applications as per rule,” he said. Besides, to generate awareness, the BMC has decided to launch online campaigns and also carry out announcements through microphones in several localities of the city.
The committee during its meeting also discussed the matter of builders taking no objection and occupancy certificates without adhering to the layout plans which lacks provision of proper drainage, and rainwater harvesting system, among other basic amenities in the buildings.
“A number of home buyers are suffering due to such problems in their apartments. This is mainly because the builders deviate from the original layout plans and take the occupancy certificates,” Jena said. We will have detailed verification of such projects and take action accordingly, he added.
