Bhubaneswar: In a major step toward ensuring citizen-centric governance and timely justice delivery, a special Camp Court was organized on Sunday at UNNATI Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, led by Usha Padhee, Principal Secretary to the Government, Housing and Urban Development Department of Odisha.
The initiative is being undertaken as per the direction of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, with the aim of ensuring a citizen-centric approach and expediting the disposal of appeal cases filed under the Odisha Development Authorities (ODA) Act, 1982.
The Principal Secretary, who is the designated appellate authority for appeal cases related to the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), presided over today’s hearing. Out of more than 800 pending appeal cases, a total of 200 cases were addressed and disposed of during the day-long session. These appeals pertain to various cases filed by citizens against orders issued by the respective authorities under the provisions of the ODA Act.
Recently, in order to strengthen the appellate mechanism and ensure the speedy disposal of cases, government orders have been obtained to designate other senior officers — including the Director of Municipal Administration, Special Secretaries, and Additional Secretaries — as appellate authorities for handling appeal cases under the Act. This decentralized approach aims to enhance efficiency and reduce the backlog.
This unique initiative reflects the commitment of the Housing and Urban Development Department to uphold the principles of transparency, fairness, and accountability. It seeks to provide a fair hearing platform for citizens who believe they have been affected by administrative decisions that may not align with due process or the public interest.
The Camp Court mechanism has been well-received by the public and is expected to continue in future phases to clear the remaining cases in a time-bound manner.
