Bhubaneswar Civic Body Calls Police to Stop Unauthorized Apartment Construction
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has formally requested assistance from the Infocity police station to halt construction activities at a private apartment project located in the Nandan Vihar area. The civic authority has labeled the ongoing work as "unauthorised" and expressed concerns about a potential law-and-order situation developing on-site.
Repeated Enforcement Attempts Met with Resistance
In an official letter dispatched to the inspector in-charge of the Infocity police station on Saturday, the BMC's north zone office detailed that despite multiple instructions and previous enforcement efforts, construction at one phase of the apartment project in Kalarahanga has persisted. The corporation alleged that its enforcement squad encountered strong resistance from private security personnel employed by the developer, rendering independent cessation of the work unfeasible.
This police appeal follows a stop-construction notice issued by the BMC to the developer on March 18, prompted by complaints from local residents. The notice explicitly directed the developer to immediately halt all construction activities and submit a compliance report addressing the allegations. With the developer failing to adhere to this directive, the BMC is now seeking police intervention to enforce the order and prevent any escalation of tensions at the construction site.
Legal and Regulatory Violations Cited
According to official BMC communications, the building plan for the Phase-II project, which was purportedly approved by the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) on February 17, 2023, expired on February 16 of this year. Furthermore, the civic body highlighted that construction is proceeding despite the project's registration under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act (RERA) being rejected in January.
The BMC also pointed out that the developer has failed to meet several mandatory conditions stipulated in the original approval. A key deficiency noted is the lack of provision for 20% visitor parking, a requirement that remains unfulfilled.
Resident Complaints Drive Action
The issue was initially brought to the BMC's attention by the local residents' welfare association. The association alleged that the developer proceeded with expansion and modification of the project without obtaining the mandatory consent from existing allottees.
Residents have raised significant safety concerns due to the operation of heavy vehicles and extensive excavation within a residential zone. These activities are perceived as posing direct risks to children and senior citizens in the vicinity. A fresh complaint outlining these dangers was forwarded to the BMC's municipal commissioner just last week.
"We are genuinely facing issues because of the developer's activities. Despite receiving a stop-construction notice, the developer has openly violated the norms by continuing the construction work," stated Dilip Kumar Rout, secretary of the residents' association.
The situation underscores ongoing challenges in urban development regulation and enforcement within Bhubaneswar, with the BMC now relying on police support to uphold civic orders and address resident grievances regarding unauthorized construction practices.
