Odisha Planning Authorities Directed to Keep ORERA Informed on Project Approvals

The Housing and Urban Development Department of Odisha has directed all planning authorities across the state, including the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), to mandatorily inform the Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA) about every housing or plotting project plan they approve. The decision aims to enhance transparency and accountability in the real estate sector by enabling ORERA to conduct timely follow-ups on developer activities after approvals are granted.

The instruction follows a recent high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of the chief secretary, prompted by suggestions raised during a Pragati review meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During that review, the Prime Minister reportedly advised all state governments to strengthen their respective Real Estate Regulatory Authorities (RERAs) to ensure effective implementation of their mandates and proper enforcement of regulatory orders in the interest of homebuyers.

In response to this central push, ORERA communicated an eight-point agenda to the state government through a formal letter addressed to the chief secretary. Among the key proposals was the requirement that planning authorities must keep ORERA informed about all plan sanctions they issue. The regulatory body emphasized that such coordination would allow it to monitor developer compliance and initiate timely interventions where necessary.

Following this, the state administration convened a meeting involving senior officials from the Housing and Urban Development Department to deliberate on the recommendations. The outcome was a formal direction to planning authorities to share details of plan approvals with ORERA on a regular basis.

One of the follow-up actions decided during the meeting was the integration of ORERA’s forthcoming new website with the state's SUJOG portal. The SUJOG platform is currently used by the state for processing online applications related to urban project approvals. By linking the two systems, authorities aim to ensure real-time monitoring of approval statuses and streamlined data sharing between planning bodies and the real estate regulator.

A senior official from ORERA confirmed that the authority had issued a set of recommendations aimed at strengthening its operational framework. "Out of the various points suggested, the state government took up two major issues for immediate action. The first was the need for timely intimation of plan approvals to ORERA. The second was the integration of digital platforms to facilitate transparency," the official said.

The renewed focus on regulatory compliance comes amid growing scrutiny of real estate development practices in the state. In one recent case, ORERA revoked the registration certificate of a major housing project in Bhubaneswar after it was discovered that the approach road shown in the approved layout was not actually owned by the developer but belonged to Indian Railways. Sources suggest that the discrepancy may have arisen during the initial plan approval process, underscoring the need for tighter coordination between planning authorities and the regulator.

Industry observers believe that the state’s move could result in greater accountability in the residential real estate sector. Mandatory communication of project approvals to ORERA will ensure that the regulator is aware of all active projects and can check for violations, especially in terms of misleading claims, non-compliance with layout plans, and absence of infrastructure commitments.

The move is also expected to increase consumer confidence. With ORERA actively monitoring developments from the point of plan sanction, buyers are likely to benefit from improved oversight and fewer disputes over project delays or deviations.

With these directions now in place, planning authorities are expected to implement the new communication protocol with immediate effect. The integration of platforms and proactive sharing of project approval data may mark the beginning of a more coordinated real estate governance framework in Odisha, aligning with the broader objectives of the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016.