The updated guidelines stipulate that applicants seeking freehold rights must provide a certificate from either the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) or the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA).
This certificate is required to confirm adherence to approved building plans or to verify that any deviations are within acceptable parameters. “This directive was issued following the cabinet’s approval and the decision made during the meeting on June 3, chaired by the chief secretary of Odisha,” the order stated.
Experts believe that this initiative will clarify the conversion process and promote compliance with building regulations in the state. On Friday, the general administration and public grievance (GA & PG) department introduced new guidelines for evaluating conversion fees on residential properties leased by the department.
This initiative aims to streamline the fee structure and ensure adherence to building regulations. According to the order, property owners who have built structures in line with approved plans will incur a conversion fee of 3% of the benchmark market value (BMV). The same fee rate will be applicable to properties with regularised deviations that fall within permissible limits.
However, the department has adopted a stringent approach towards unauthorized constructions. “If the deviation exceeds the permissible limit, conversion will not be permitted. Conversion for such cases will only be considered after regularisation by the competent authority,” the order stated.
