Unauthorized Construction of Hotel in Puri

While construction of an unauthorized Hotel is going on at the sweet water zone area in Puri, no authority is there to check and restrain the hotel authority from the construction. As per RTI information, the PKDA has disapproved the plan, but still the construction is going on and now in the finishing stage.

In the above matter Jayanta Kumar Das, the RTI activist who has received the necessary documents and information in lieu of the Right to Information Act, informed as follows:

“I want to inform you that one unauthorized construction  of permanent structure(hotel) is going on very rapidly in Sweet water Zone of Baliapanda (Near Sea Shore), Puri on Plot No.184/205 & 184/206, Kisham- Ghara Bari, Khata No.11, Mauza- Baliapanda, Tahasil- Puri, P.S- Puri Town, Dist- Puri (Annexure 08A & 8B, Patta of the Plots) without  any plan approval  from the Puri Konark Development Authority (PKDA) since three years, as per the information received from PKDA & Puri Municipality to my RTI Applications dated 20^th Nov 2012 & 06. 12.2012 respectively, 

PKDA had received one building plan approval File No. 126/2010 dated 14.5.2010 in the name of Siba Krishna Chatterjee, Secretary, Haranath Tatwa Pracharini Sabha but PKDA refused to approve the Plan in its Letter No. 265 dated 28.1.2011 because this zone is banned (Sweet Water Zone) for any construction as per the Press note released by Housing & Urban Develop Department Vide letter No. 29462 dated 30.09.2000.”

“Puri Konark Development Authority has completed its formality by filing one Unauthorised Construction Case against one Siba Kumar Chatarjee (Secretary of Haranath Ashram) and the U.C.Case No. 03 of 2010, dated 23.4.2010.”

“Though the Sea Beach Police Station was also informed by PKDA to take necessary action to stop the unauthorized construction in its Letter No. 512 dated 18.5.2010 but the then Sea Beach IIC Inspector Amulya Dhar never took any initiative over this issue knowingly.”

“I have intimated  to Puri collector, Principal secretary of Housing And Urban Development department, to the Editor of reputed Odia News Papers by email & Speed Post regarding this unauthorized construction with documentary proof on 16^th&17^thJan 2013 but none of them respondent to my complaint.”

“Without the involvement of corrupt government officials like Puri Police, PKDA, Puri Collectorate, Puri Municipality & Puri Public Health Division (PHD) this type of unauthorized construction cannot be carried out openly.  For your kind information I am going to file Public Interest Litigation in Odisha High Court regarding this matter soon, this news is not yet published by any local reporter till date.”

In this circumstance, the concerned authority should now move on to check and award appropriate punishment (under law) to the construction in charge/company.