BHUBANESWAR: Allottees of Dhauli Heights, a housing project in Tamando on the city outskirts, are again hoping for a positive reply to their grievances from the govt in the upcoming winter session of the assembly on when they might get possession of their units.
Around 40 homebuyers got their allotment in the premium housing project executed by Odisha Cooperative Housing Corporation Ltd (OCHC). However, over 11 years have passed, and they are yet to get possession.
OCHC announced the project will be executed in public-private partnership mode back in 2013. The project was supposed to be completed in 2016. However, it got stuck due to a fund crunch and later litigation problems with the private player.
OCHC removed the private partner from the housing project, but was unable to complete it. The buyers then approached the Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA), which orderd to compensate the buyers and complete the project by 2019.
The matter was raised several times by various legislators in the assembly in the past, including the recent session in Aug, but no headway was made.
“We have not received our allotment so far. This time, three more legislators will raise questions on the issue in assembly. We hope there will be some positive development,” N Siva Sankar, secretary of Dhauli Heights association of allottees, said.
In 2019, the then corporation minister, Ranendra Pratap Swain, admitted the funds crunch issue but assured the homebuyers that they would get their houses by the end of that year. However, no progress was made. The matter was raised again in 2021 in the assembly when Swain assured the orders of the ORERA on paying compensation to the homebuyers were in progress and the allottees would get their houses from OCHC by Dec 2022.
In the interim, Odisha Police Welfare Housing Corporation was roped in, which commenced work. Sources said it has already completed work but has not handed over the flats, awaiting a balance payment from OCHC.
In Aug, cooperation minister Pradeep Bal Samanta told the assembly that the allotment had already started for homebuyers.
