Bhubaneswar: After a long wait, the state government on Wednesday appointed Asit Kumar Mohapatra as the Chairperson of Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA).As per an official notification, the new appointment will come into effect from the date he assumes office.“In exercise of the powers conferred under Sub-section 1 of Section 20 of the Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act, 2016 and Rule 18 (7) of the Odisha Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Rules, 2017, the State Government is pleased to appoint Sri Asit Kumar Mohapatra as Chairperson in Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA) with effect from the date he assumes the office,” said a notification issued by the Housing and Urban Development department.This apart, the government also appointed Rajendra Mishra and Shyam Sundar Dash as members of ORERA.“In exercise of the powers conferred under Sub-section 1 of Section 20 of the Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act, 2016 and Rule 18 (7) of the Odisha Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Rules, 2017, the State Government is pleased to appoint Sri Rajendra Mishra and Sri Shyam Sundar Dash as Members in Odisha Real Estate Regulatory Authority (ORERA) with effect from the date they assume the office,” the department said in another notification.
The appointments assume considerable significance as all key posts in ORERA including that of its chairman were lying vacant. The state government had recently appointed the principal secretary of Housing and Urban Development department as its regulatory authority.Notably, the ORERA functions with a chairman and two members – member (judicial) and member (administration). After ORERA chairman Siddhanta Das resigned on February 28, the H&UD department had appointed member (judicial) Gopal Chandra Patnaik as the acting chairperson.However, Patnaik retired on May 9, a week after the retirement of member (administration) Pradeep Biswal, leaving the authority headless and defunct.It may be noted that ORERA plays a significant role in ensuring transparency and accountability in the real estate sector. With the new leadership in place, stakeholders are optimistic about the implementation of progressive policies designed to protect the interests of both homebuyers and real estate developers.This appointments are likely to boost ORERA’s operational efficiency and strengthen regulatory oversight in real estate matters. Both homebuyers and developers are hopeful of constructive reforms in the state’s real estate governance.
