Credai-Orissa suggests changes in new BDA regulations

The Orissa chapter of Confederation of Real Estate Developer Association of India (Credai) has suggested some changes in the proposed amendment in the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) (Planning and Building Standards) Regulations, 2008.

Opposing the BDA’s plan to reserve ten per cent of all new housing projects for economically weaker sections (EWS) and lower income groups (LIG), the association feels that the ground realty has not been taken into account by the drafting authorities.

“Reserving ten per cent for the EWS and LIG category will not fulfill the need of the people belonging to this category in the city as the slum population constitutes 30 per cent of the total dwellers in the city,” said DS Tripathy, President, Credai, Orissa Chapter.

He further said, the reservation of 10 per cent built-up area for this category should not be made compulsory for small projects. Instead the norms should be made compulsory for bigger township and mass housing schemes.

Until now only government housing projects and projects developed under public private partnership (PPP) mode has housing units reserved for the EWS/LIG category.

The new draft further says that the developer has the option of developing the EWS/LIG units at the same site or within a distance of five kilometers from the main project.

Moreover, Credai has disapproved the definition of the apartment building and group housing in the draft amendment.

The definition of the apartment building and group housing lacks clarity in the proposed amendment to building bylaw of BDA. The apartment building defined in the draft bill should be replaced with eight dwelling units in place of four where land is owned jointly and the construction is undertaken by one agency, he added.

The real estate body also suggested that the state government should come up with an affordable housing policy in line with the policy prepared by the government of Rajasthan to serve the requirement of the EWS and LIG category.

Credai has submitted a memorandum mentioning the suggestions for amendment in the proposed bill to the BDA.

He said, the shelter fund created by the BDA, which gives an option to the developer to deposit an amount with the authority in lieu of constructing the EWS/LIG houses and utilization of the fund by the authority for construction of EWS and LIG houses and slum development and rehabilitation, is impracticable.

It may be noted BDA has sought objection and suggestion on the draft BDA (Planning and Building Standards) Amendment Regulations 2012.