Dhauli Heights flat owners haven’t got possession even after 10 years, Real Estate News, ET Real Estate

Bhubaneswar: ten years after Odisha Cooperative Housing Corporation (OCHC) floated Dhauli HeightsA housing project in Tamando area on the outskirts of the city, trouble is far from over for home buyers as they wait to get the keys of their flats.

OCHC started the housing project in 2013 on public-private-partnership mode and allotted flats to around 40 home buyers through a lottery system.

The project was supposed to be completed in 2016, however, due to lack of funds and litigation problems with a private partner, the project got stuck. OCHC dropped the partner and then showed its inability to complete the project, making it difficult for buyers.

“We have been waiting for more than seven years after investing our hard earned money on the flat. We still have to get what is due to us. The officials are giving reasons one after the other and we are waiting patiently. So many years have passed and we don’t know when we will get our house,” said N Siva Kumar, one of the buyers.

Buyers Contacted Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA), which had issued an order to OCHC to compensate the buyers and hand over the houses by 2019.

But the corporation showed further inability to make the payment citing paucity of funds. In 2019, the matter was raised in the Assembly when the then Corporation Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain acknowledged the issue of paucity of funds and assured home buyers that they would get their flats by the end of that year.

But that deadline also passed and in 2021 the matter was raised again in the assembly. Once again, Swain assured that OERA’s orders will be followed to compensate the buyers and the allottees will get their flats by December 2022.

“A house is always a dream for the middle class. I have spent all my hard earned money to buy a house. Now I am tired of asking about his condition. Now I want my money back,” said NK Naik, a disgruntled buyer.

Meanwhile, the Odisha Police Welfare Housing Corporation (OPWHC) was roped in to execute the project, which is nearing 95% completion but finishing work is pending due to non-payment of dues.

OCHC Managing Director Kulmani Padhi Said that the formalities have been completed and the allottees will get their flats by March. “There was some paucity of funds, which is being addressed. We are working on it and will be handed over to the landlords by March this year.