Odisha govt asks BMC, BDA to rehabilitate 600 families from Niladri Vihar transit homes
BHUBANESWAR: The state government has asked the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) to rehabilitate around 600 families residing in transit homes in Niladri Vihar area of the city, to affordable housing project or in-situ slum redevelopment (ISSR) project under their jurisdictions.
Sources in the Housing and Urban Development department said the government has also issued a set of guidelines to be followed by both the agencies for smooth relocation of the households.
Though information regarding 639 families residing in the transit houses is with the agencies, both BDA and BMC have been asked to conduct a fresh enumeration jointly to ascertain the exact number of families staying in the transit camp and their eligibility for allotment of dwelling units under the affordable housing or in-situ slum redevelopment project, said an official of the department.
As per the H&UD guidelines, families which have deposited part beneficiary contribution but are unable to pay the remaining balance will be assisted to avail bank loan for the purpose. The department has also made it clear that a family will not be allowed to stay in the transit house beyond six months, and has asked the agencies to take measures accordingly.
Last year, the state government had rehabilitated about 455 families from the transit shelters of Niladri Vihar and nearby areas to the Nilamadhab Niwas, an affordable housing project, as part of its 'Housing For All' mission. The project includes construction of about 1,200 dwelling units of which about 960 units have already been completed and handed over to BDA for allotment.
In another development, the state government had recently asked the BDA to file cancellation proposal for allegedly failing to take up an ISSR project with 400 dwelling units at VSS Nagar.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Where are the trees to compensate for those felled at altar of devpt projects, ask activists
1 2 3 Bhopal: As a city expands and develops in an 'unplanned' manner, with construction and infrastructure projects emerging everywhere, the green cover of the city is the first casualty. Bhopal is a prime example of this trend, as per experts and activists. And as the green cover, which was once the pride of Bhopal, vanishes, a question that attracts the attention of environmental activists and common residents alike is about the effectiveness of compensatory afforestation, which is required to offset the loss to green cover by any 'development' project. As against one tree felled, four trees are required to be planted by the person or agency given permission to cut trees by the municipal corporation. So where are those lakhs of trees that should've been planted over the years and why is green cover diminishing if these trees are being planted? These are questions to which authorities have no definite answers for, activists say. Only in the two latest road projects—the Kolar road project, under which permission to cut as many as 4,105 trees was given, and the 11 Mile to Bangrasia road project, under which cut 1,377 trees were cut, environmental activists point out irregularities. 'RTI Reveals Delay' Environmental activist Nitin Saxena, who moved the green watchdog NGT over the huge loss to the environment due to these projects because there was no compensatory afforestation, said, "We wish to know whether the site of afforestation has been decided for planting of trees and if the agency, which cut the trees, has deposited the amount required to undertake afforestation with the social forestry department, which was once a part of the Capital Project Administration (CPA). " Saxena said that the PWD, which executed the Kolar road project, was required to pay Rs 1.26 crore to the social forestry department for compensatory afforestation to get an NOC from the BMC for cutting 4,105 trees, but the NOC was issued to PWD without depositing the amount. Saxena added that he asked the BMC under RTI whether the requisite fund was deposited by the PWD for afforestation, and the reply was that a notice was issued to PWD in Jan to deposit the amount. "More than 4,000 trees were cut, and they are still corresponding with the PWD to get the money for compensatory afforestation. Mind you, the project began in 2022, and it's 2025," Saxena said. Saxena said that he moved the NGT asking the tribunal to check the cutting of trees for the 11 Mile to Bangrasia (Ratanpur road project), and the NGT on Jan 1, 2025, directed that trees should only be cut according to law and if necessary, but the cutting of trees continued, and now 700 trees are being cut for road and stadium construction at Neelbad. "Our question is why the BMC commissioner, who is the tree officer entitled to allow the cutting of trees, has delegated his powers to a subordinate officer, which he can't do according to the Tree Protection Act (urban), and only the state govt can do it," said Saxena. Govt Depts Pass Buck BMC commissioner Harendra Narayan, when contacted for comments, said, "Our tree officer is additional commissioner Devendra Chauhan. You talk to him; he will be able to give you information." Chauhan, when asked whether the PWD has deposited the amount for compensatory afforestation against trees cut in the Kolar project and where the trees have been planted, said, "We only give permission for cutting of trees only when the social forestry department gives us NOC after money is deposited. I don't know about the Kolar project, but it's a matter between two govt departments; it will be done. As far as the site of afforestation is concerned, it's for the social forestry department to plant trees and not BMC." DFIO, social forestry, Nidhi Chauhan, when asked the same question, said, "I will have to see. I am new to the post. I can't tell you offhand whether the money was deposited or not. As far as the site of compensatory afforestation is concerned, we do face problems in getting land for afforestation. Getting NOC from the revenue department for the purpose is difficult at times. As far as the number of trees that have to be planted, if the girth of the trees is 30 cm or more, four trees are planted against a tree felled, and if it's less than that, we plant two trees. " 'Act Silent On Compliance' Advocate Harpreet Singh Gupta, who has appeared in several cases concerning environmental damage due to trees felling, when asked if there is any punitive action, said, "Tree Protection Act applicable in MP is silent over the issue. Permission to cut trees is given subject to the undertaking that compensatory plantation would be done, but there is no reference to punishment if undertaking is not adhered to."
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Time of India
Cop detected 58 crimes: Court; grants 4 years minimum prescribed jail term in '16 graft case
Mumbai: A special court on Wednesday convicted former assistant police inspector (API) Suresh Naik (65) in a 2016 corruption case, but sentenced him to the minimum prescribed four years' of rigorous imprisonment. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The court observed that Naik committed misconduct as a public servant by breaching integrity and honesty, thereby tarnishing the image of public service, but noting his extensive service as an investigating officer, which led to the successful prosecution of culprits in 58 crimes, the judge awarded the minimum prescribed prison sentence and imposed a Rs 1 lakh fine. Naik was charged under Sections 7 and 13(1)(d) read with Section 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which deal with public servants accepting illegal gratification and criminal misconduct, for demanding and accepting bribe from Ramkrishna Kute, then a 50-year-old driver employed with BMC's executive engineer of transport city who was trapped in a corruption case. On March 25, 2016, Kute was arrested after an acquaintance, Surve, misused his name and collected Rs 4 lakh from a chawl resident promising to reduce his water bill. It was alleged that of this amount, Rs 50,000 was handed to Kute. He was later released on bail, with a condition to attend Parksite police station every Thursday and Sunday. On May 5, 2016, Naik, who was the investigating officer in the case, demanded a bribe of Rs 5.3 lakh from Kute to show undue favour in an ongoing investigation and to cancel mandatory police station attendance. Two days later, Kute approached the Anti-Corruption Bureau. A trap was laid near Vikhroli police station and Naik was caught accepting the first instalment of Rs 30,000 from Kute. In a 172-page judgment sentencing Naik, special judge Shashikant Eknathrao Bangar said, "Though the accused served dutifully as a police officer for a long time, his misconduct during the incident in question casts serious doubt." The judge denied Naik's claims of false implication by Kute. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Seeking leniency in sentencing, Naik submitted that as a police officer who investigated several crimes and arrested many criminals, his personal security could be severely prejudiced if he were sentenced to jail. Naik was out on bail during pendency of the trial. Public prosecutor Prabhakar J Tarange cited the depositions of nine witnesses, including Kute, to seek Naik's conviction. The Rs 30,000 seized during the trap was ordered to be confiscated to the state.
India Today
15 hours ago
- India Today
Court shuts Rs 30,000 crore Mumbai land scam case involving real estate tycoon
A special court in Mumbai has accepted the closure report filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in a decades-old case against prominent builder Niranjan Hiranandani and others. The case involved allegations of misuse of land in Powai originally allotted for affordable housing that was allegedly used to construct luxury Judge SE Bangar accepted the ACB's closure report, saying that there was no proof of corruption, monetary gratification, or criminal conspiracy. The judge said, 'The ACB, Mumbai, has rightly concluded that no criminal offence warranting prosecution is made out,' and added, 'The closure reports are based on cogent investigation, verified compliance, and supported by judicial orders of the constitutional court.'advertisementThe allegations were linked to the Powai Area Development Scheme (PADS), executed by Lake View Developers—a Hiranandani Group entity—alongside the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) under a Tripartite Agreement signed on November 19, 1986. Activists had accused the developer of diverting concessional land, meant for affordable housing, to construct luxury flats, allegedly causing a Rs 30,000 crore loss to public funds. In 2012, the ACB registered an FIR following a sessions court direction based on a complaint by activist Santosh Daundkar. The complaint named Hiranandani, then Urban Development Department Secretary Thomas Benjamin, and unknown officers from MMRDA and BMC. Daundkar sought the case be handed over to the CBI and Enforcement ACB initially filed an "A summary" report in 2013, indicating insufficient evidence. This was rejected by the court in 2018. Following a re-investigation, a closure report was filed again in 2019, which Daundkar 2008 and 2010, three Public Interest Litigations (PILs) were filed by individuals including activist Medha Patkar, raising concerns over developments in the PADS region. However, while disposing of the PILs in 2023, the High Court found that construction and handover obligations were fulfilled. A court-appointed committee confirmed to these proceedings, the ACB said, 'In view of the PILs having attained finality, there is nothing brought on record by the Complainant to infer any element of any criminal offence whatsoever on the part of the alleged accused persons.'In its final report, the ACB said it found no evidence that officers of MMRDA, BMC, or the Urban Development Department engaged in illegal activities or that the developer breached any terms of the Tripartite Agreement or earned unlawful court also said that the High Court had 'conclusively examined' issues related to affordable housing obligations, flat amalgamation, and flat sales. During its investigation, the ACB found no breach of agreement terms, irregularities, or illegal actions by the accused. IN THIS STORY#Mumbai#Maharashtra
