Bhubaneswar The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has served show-cause notices to 1,380 property owners in the South-East Zone of the state capital for running commercial activities from residential premises without authorisation, in clear violation of approved building plans and the Odisha Development Authorities Act, 1982.
The notices follow a detailed field survey and physical verification carried out by civic officials across 25 wards in the zone.
According to the order issued by the ODA Court (South-East Zone Section), the Zonal Commissioner In-Charge submitted a comprehensive report on July 29, identifying hundreds of plot owners who had converted residential properties for non-residential and commercial use without the required permissions.
The enforcement drive is a direct response to recent Supreme Court directives in the matter of Loganathan vs State of Tamil Nadu & Others.
Citing orders dated May 20, 2026, and July 9, 2026, the notice records the apex court’s serious concern over illegal property usage and its mandate that all urban local bodies and development authorities take immediate and effective action, including sealing, demolition and other statutory measures, against unauthorised constructions and the use of residential premises for commercial purposes without proper approval or in deviation from sanctioned plans.
Owners and occupiers in the zone, including prominent localities such as Saheed Nagar, Bapuji Nagar, Acharya Vihar, Laxmisagar, Satya Nagar and Jharapada, have been directed to appear before the authority with ownership documents, building permits and approved plans. Failure to furnish valid cause or lawful documentation within the stipulated period may result in sealing or demolition proceedings as prescribed under law.