Latest news with #OdishaApartment(OwnershipandManagement)Act
New Indian Express
31-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Odisha government to discuss apartment regularisation, RERA issues with ORERA, key departments
BHUBANESWAR: As concerns persist over legalisation of unauthorised constructions in apartment projects, the state government has decided to take up matters pertaining to apartment regularisation scheme and the provisions of Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) with Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA). Sources said the chief secretary is scheduled to hold discussions with ORERA, Forest and Environment, and Revenue departments, development authorities, town planning directorate and other officials concerned. Issues pertaining to encroachment of conservancy lane as well as passage for private land and permission for use of government land as connecting/approach road are also likely to taken up during the meeting. The meeting will also deliberate on the status of housing projects facing hurdle for registration owing to involvement of forest land and conversion of leasehold land to freehold in cases where building plans have been duly approved. Sources said the apartment regularisation scheme provides scope for regularisation of buildings that were built without prior approval or in deviation from sanctioned plans. The state government in its notification issued on February 1 this year, had allowed registration of apartments completed before the commencement of the RERA in the state - prior to February 25, 2017. However, it was stayed by the Orissa High Court to purportedly 'remove any ambiguity' in the application of the Odisha Apartment (Ownership and Management) Act, 2023 in which there is a clear bar on registration of an apartment if it does not have an occupancy certificate (OC) and if the association of allottees of the apartment has not been formed and registered.
Time of India
24-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
ORERA notifies formation of CDR cell for resolving disputes
Bhubaneswar: Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA) has notified the formation of a Conciliation and Dispute Resolution (CDR) cell at its office here. The CDR cell will be a platform for distressed homebuyers and promoters to amicably resolve disputes, thus, saving both parties from entering any further legal battles. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now ORERA made a similar attempt in Jan last year, but the cell couldn't become operational as it lacked govt approval. This time ORERA notified the cell after approval of the housing and urban development department. "In accordance with the provisions under Section 32 (g) of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, a conciliation and dispute resolution cell has been constituted in ORERA with the approval of the housing and urban development department," read the ORERA notice. As per the notice, the cell has five members who will hear the cases brought by the promoters and allottees. The secretary of ORERA will be the primary member in the cell, followed by the joint secretary of finance in ORERA and the consultant in the legal cell of the real estate body. The cell will also have a representative from a developers' association and another from an allottee's association. "To nominate a representative from a registered association of allottees, all interested associations registered under the Odisha Apartment (Ownership and Management) Act, 2023 and Rules, 2024 are hereby invited to nominate one suitable member from their association," the notice reads. All registered associations have been asked to submit their nominations by July 30, 2025. ORERA has also shared a format according to which the associations of allottees will submit their nominations. "This is a step in the right direction. Such a CDR cell will help save a lot of time and resources for both buyers and sellers. People should know about the cell so that they are benefitted from it," Subash Jena, a real estate analyst, said.
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Min highlights tech reforms in registration system, improved service delivery
1 2 Bhubaneswar: State govt has ushered in a new era of revenue administration by implementing comprehensive technological reforms in its registration system, announced revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari on Saturday. "We completely transformed the previously disappointing registration services at sub-registrar offices through systematic restructuring and technology integration," Pujari told a state-level conference for registration officers here. He emphasised that employee efficiency will now be computerised and considered during promotions, warning that negligence and irregularities would face strict action. The digitalisation initiative, aimed at enhancing transparency and service delivery, yielded impressive results with an 88% public satisfaction rate across the state, a govt statement read. It added that Deogarh and Subarnapur districts achieved 100% satisfaction rate, while 10 other districts, including Boudh, Sundargarh and Nayagarh, recorded over 90% positive feedback. Housing and urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, who attended the event, outlined the govt's vision to transform Odisha into a prosperous state by 2036. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo He highlighted recent improvements in apartment and sub-plot registration processes following the enactment of the Odisha Apartment (Ownership and Management) Act and the amendments to the Odisha Development Authority Act. The conference, attended by additional district magistrates, district registrars and sub-registrars, addressed persistent challenges in property registration. "The govt introduced new rules for sub-plot registration and is actively resolving issues related to pre-RERA apartment registrations," Mahapatra said. "Our goal is to achieve 100% satisfactory services across all districts," Pujari added, calling for positive competition among officials to enhance service delivery. The digital transformation has made registration activities available online, with systematic feedback collection after each transaction. "The initiative represents a significant step toward making revenue administration more people-centric and efficient," the statement added.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Apartment Ownership Act: The Future of Urban Living
Bhubaneswar: Earlier this year on May 18, residents of a real estate project in Bhubaneswar organised a silent protest, demanding handing over of the common areas to the association of allottees, a must under the Odisha Apartment (Ownership and Management) Act, 2023. "The common areas have been specified in our project, which, according to the Act, belong to us and should be utilised by us. The builder, instead of handing over the areas, is using the space to construct roads to its other adjacent projects," Ajit Kumar Choudhary, president of the association of allottees, had said. Having been deprived of the common areas for a long time, the association later approached the court against the builder and got a stay order, which means that the builder cannot undertake any kind of construction in the common area. This was made possible all thanks to the Apartment Ownership Act which has significantly shifted the power dynamics between developers and homebuyers. "Without the regulations in place, we couldn't have challenged the developer. The Act gave us the upper hand and we secured a favourable decree from Orissa high court later in our case," Choudhary added. Introduced two years ago with the objective of clearly defining ownership rights of homebuyers in apartment buildings and establishing guidelines for the use of common areas and facilities, the Act's implementation took time owing to complications in apartment sale deed registrations and other factors. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas in Dubai | Search Ads Get Info Undo But ever since its implementation, the Act has brought unprecedented changes in how apartments are managed, owned and regulated. "The Act has several provisions which empower the homebuyers, who are now challenging the developers for their rights," real estate expert Bimalendu Pradhan, who, along with other activists, played a key role in raising awareness about the legislation, said. One of the most significant achievements of the Act was breaking the two-and-a-half-year-long deadlock in apartment sale deed registrations. The breakthrough came last April with the registration of the first association of allottees, leading to partial resumption of sale deed registrations in June 2024. This development was particularly crucial as the high court had previously mandated that registrations could only proceed when the apartments possessed all necessary legal documentation, including occupancy certificates, environmental clearances and fire safety certificates. The new registration process for the association of allottees under the Apartment Ownership Act, rather than the Societies Registration Act, 1860, ensures comprehensive compliance with all legal requirements. The Act's success is reflected in the numbers. Data from BDA, which is the competent authority in the capital city under the Act to issue certificates for registration of apartment owners' associations, revealed that out of 519 applications received for registration of allottees' associations in the past two years, 419 have been approved. As many as 70 of these approved applications have received declarations from the developers, establishing them as registered associations under the Act. BDA has further strengthened the Act's implementation through landmark orders recently. One significant directive empowers the allottee associations to discontinue essential services of occupants defaulting on maintenance fees. "We now have clear rules to deal with residents who enjoy facilities but refuse to pay maintenance fees," Santosh Acharya, president of a prominent housing society in Bomikhal, said. The state govt also continues to support the Act's implementation. Revenue minister Suresh Pujari has confirmed ongoing efforts to streamline apartment and part plot registration processes, while housing and urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra highlighted a Feb 2025 notification for the Act that further clarified resale procedures. Issues, however, remain for registering the older apartments under the Act since many of them do not have documents like occupancy certificate, fire safety certificate and others. "The govt with the Feb (2025) notification (which notified the rules of the Act) should have brought a method of regularising these apartments," Pradhan said. As the Act continues to evolve and shape Odisha's real estate sector, it stands as a testament to effective policy-making that balances the interests of all stakeholders while ensuring efficient property management.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
BDA lets housing society cut power, water over dues
1 2 Bhubaneswar: In a historic first in Odisha, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) issued a landmark order in favour of an association of allottees of a major residential project. This order empowers the association to disconnect essential supplies to a few units in the project if they fail to pay the monthly maintenance charge for a continued period. The association of allottees moved the competent authority with a complaint about the wilful non-payment of common expenses by some flat owners. The BDA, hearing the plea, passed the order in favour of the allottees' association, citing the provisions in the Odisha Apartment (Ownership and Management) Act of 2023. According to the case history, four of the house owners out of the total 160-odd houses in the project refused to pay the monthly maintenance charge to the association. They cited that it had not registered as per the act so far and that the maintenance of the common area and facilities in the apartment should be taken care of by the promoter. The secretary of the association, however, provided the reason that the association had already been registered, and the common areas and facilities had been handed over to the association. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo For the maintenance of the common areas and facilities, a fixed individual contribution must be made by each of the allottees, the association argued. The BDA, hearing the case, cited Section 19 (1) of the Odisha Apartment (Ownership and Management) Act, 2023, which states that if an apartment owner either wilfully violates or evidently threatens to violate the provisions of this Act, including failure to pay the common expenses for a period of more than three months, the association of allottees can cut off the essential supplies to the defaulters. The BDA, concluding the hearing in the matter, stated: "The allottees are directed to clear the outstanding dues towards the common expenses of the association within one month from the date of issue of this order." It further stated that the association is at liberty to proceed with action as mentioned in the Act on the expiry of the one month's notice against the allottees for failure to comply with the order. Real estate experts welcomed the move, citing that it will create a sense of responsibility among people living in apartments. "In apartments, everyone has shared responsibility, and this should be realised by everyone living in it. Some people do wilfully refuse to take these responsibilities, resulting in resentment among others," expert Bimalendu Pradhan said, citing the order as an eye-opener.
