Building Amnesty Scheme: HC issues notice to Odisha govt

The Orissa High Court today issued notices to the state government in response to a PIL which has challenged the recently announced Building Amnesty Scheme in the state.

The scheme, announced by the government on June 20, aims at regularising constructions made in deviation of approved plans.

The high court asked the Housing and Urban Development secretary and all chairmen of development authorities in the state to file their respective counters in response to the PIL.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Vineet Saran issued the notices while adjudicating the petition filed by social activist Subash Chandra Mohapatra.

The respondents have been instructed to file their counters within four weeks and the petitioner has been asked to file his rejoinder to the counters within a week thereafter, the petitioner's advocate, Siddharth Prasad Das, said.

The petitioner has challenged the recent notification, questioning as to how the same was issued when a similar PIL was pending disposal in the high court challenging the amnesty scheme declared in 2013.

The petitioner has also disputed the claim made by the state government that it was authorised to announce the amnesty scheme under the provisions of the Orissa Development Authority Act.

The state government, had on June 20 this year, announced a fresh scheme to regularise buildings which are constructed in contravention with rules and regulations of their respective development authorities.