Govt inaction in bringing back DQ plots raises eyebrows

Bhubaneswar: Even though two years and ten months have elapsed since the State Cabinet decided to take back plots or flats allocated under discretionary quota (DQ), the decision is yet to be executed by government functionaries.

The State government has not been able to get back a single plot or flat allocated under the DQ.

As per RTI documents, BJD legislator Pranab Kumar Balabantaray, one Sajal Kumar Moulik and another allottee Snigdharani Sahoo had written to the Odisha State Housing Board showing eagerness to return flat allotted to them under the discretionary quota. However, as the government has not fixed modalities yet, no steps have been taken in this regard yet.

Rajendra Kumar Nayak, secretary of the State Housing Board, said ,"No instruction for cancellation of the allotted flat or plot has come yet from the State government. Once modalities are finalised, only then further action can be taken."

The State Housing Board had issued show cause notices to 42 out of 66 beneficiaries of the DQ. Similarly, notices were served on 24 persons including IAS officer Sanjib Kumar Mishra and legislator Tukuni Sahu who had received more than one plot or flat under the quota.

Total 791 DQ beneficiaries have taken plot from the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and 921 from the Cuttack Development Authority (CDA).

Golak Mohapatra, BJP spokesperson, said, "The State government only believes in announcements, not in action, as understood from zero measures taken in discretionary quota case."

Echoing similar views, Prafulla Majhi, Congress legislator stated, "Though a decision was taken in the State Cabinet, it has not been implemented yet. This highlights the sorry state of affairs in the government."

Denying the charges Pratap Deb, BJD spokesperson, said, "The government has not lost its direction. As a financial audit on allotments has been ordered till 1994, the process is taking time."