TV
Under Odisha’s ambitious Capital Redevelopment Project, at least 410 government quarters in Bhubaneswar will be vacated and demolished. The vacated land will be used to construct a modern guest house and vertical multipurpose buildings. An action plan was drawn up after the current (BJP-led) government assumed office, sources said on Monday.
Also Read: OTV Impact: Massive drive to evict illegal occupants from government quarters
According to the sources, the State government is moving forward with a large-scale urban transformation plan in Bhubaneswar under the Capital Redevelopment Project, starting with the eviction and demolition of around 410 government quarters in Ashok Nagar and Unit-2 localities. A modern guest house and a multi-purpose vertical building will be constructed on the 3-acre site.
Following the change in Odisha leadership, a new action plan was prepared for the project. Government officials currently residing in the localities will be relocated. Eviction notices have already been served. These notices give six months' time for occupants to vacate. One such notice was issued to an officer named Bhubaneswari Padhi.
Officials affected by the eviction have been informed that they may apply—either online or offline—for new government housing, except those who are set to retire by December 31, 2025, and thus are ineligible to apply.
Local residents have welcomed the State government's urban redevelopment plan, despite the displacements. Earlier, more than 90 illegally occupied quarters in Unit-8 and Ashok Nagar were cleared and sealed by the BMC and BDA. Many government houses in these zones were either lying abandoned or were being misused, prompting the GA & PG Department to propose demolition and reconstruction.
Nearly 1,500 new quarters are to be built
Meanwhile, Works Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan has acknowledged the shortage of staff quarters and stated that around 1,500 new quarters will be built by replacing these old and abandoned ones. Along with the new guest house, there are also plans for an IT complex in the same location.
“The government quarters in Ashok Nagar locality had become unsafe. There is a dearth of accommodation, and there is a plan to build nearly 1,500 new houses after demolishing the old ones. Several new buildings are likely to come up,” the Works Minister said.
