Odisha RERA faces closure as two members set to retire in May, ET RealEstate
BHUBANESHWAR: The Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA) is heading towards a complete shutdown as its remaining two members are due to retire in May, raising concerns among homebuyers and developers across the state.
The regulatory body was already functioning with reduced capacity following the premature departure of chairperson Siddhanta Das in Feb. Member (admin) Pradeep Kumar Biswal is scheduled to retire on May 2, while member (judicial) Gopal Chandra Patnaik, who is currently serving as acting chairperson, will complete his tenure on May 9.
ORERA’s standard operating procedure requires a three-member bench to hear cases, with decisions made through a majority voting system of 2:1. The impending vacancies threaten to bring the authority’s operations to a complete standstill.
According to the Odisha Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, the govt is required to initiate recruitment processes before such positions become vacant. While one meeting was held in March to select a new chairperson, only advertisements have been published for the two member positions.
Real estate expert Bimalendu Pradhan criticised the govt’s handling of the situation, stating that this crisis could have been avoided. “The govt should have considered ad-hoc appointments to ensure ORERA’s continued functioning. Buyers would be the most affected by this administrative gap,” he said.
A senior housing and urban development official defended the govt’s position and said the recruitment process is underway and it will be completed within a month. “We have received around 50 applications for the member positions, and scrutiny is on,” he said.
Homebuyers have already started feeling the impact of ORERA’s dysfunction. Saswat Moharana, a homebuyer, is currently facing inconvenience filing a complaint regarding delayed possession of his property. “For the past two months, ORERA has not been accepting complaints,” said Moharana, expressing his frustration.
In the meantime, the authority’s imminent shutdown raises serious concerns about the protection of homebuyers’ interests and the regulation of real estate development in Odisha. Stakeholders are calling for urgent govt intervention to prevent a complete breakdown of the regulatory mechanism.
