Bhubaneswar: With all key posts in Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA) including that of its chairman lying vacant, the state government has appointed the principal secretary of Housing and Urban Development department as the regulatory authority.
A notification issued by the Housing & Urban Development department said that the principal secretary is designated the regulatory authority of ORERA as per the provisions of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act 2016 until further orders.
Notably, the ORERA functions with a chairman and two members – member (judicial) and member (administration). After ORERA chairman Siddhanta Das resigned on February 28, the H&UD department had appointed member (judicial) Gopal Chandra Patnaik as the acting chairperson.
However, Patnaik retired on May 9, a week after the retirement of member (administration) Pradeep Biswal, leaving the authority headless and defunct.
Sources said though a three-member panel has shortlisted names and submitted it to the state government for appointment to the three positions, some home buyers, owing to the delay in appointment, moved the Orissa High Court and the Supreme Court and the matter is now sub-judice in the HC.
The principal secretary of the H&UD department has been appointed as the regulatory authority for the body as a temporary measure, they added.
However, experts have expressed apprehension over the delay in the appointment of permanent authority in ORERA, stating that the unprecedented situation will continue to hamper the interest of the home buyers and other stakeholders. They are of the opinion that permanent authority should be in place without further delay as names for appointment to the posts have already been shortlisted.
