Dividend of Transparency

A hiccup-free allotment of urban residential plots

During 1998-99 I often used to travel from Bhubaneshwar to Kolkata by overnight train. Puri Express was the preferred choice, with a backup of Jagannath Express at midnight, should the exigencies of my job so require. It was during one such journey that I ran into a co-passenger who boarded at Cuttack. He was from Kolkata and had come to visit some friend in Cuttack. In our casual conversation he remarked that he stayed in a very nice part of the city. It was very well planned. "You know, like our Salt Lake," he said. "It is called Bidanasi." That was music to my ears as I had some role in developing this area. He complimented me. My mind went racing back to the memories in 1987-88 when I was the Vice Chairman of the Cuttack Urban Development Authority, CDA in short.

I had been abruptly shifted from Dhenkanal where I was the Collector. It so happened that all the MLAs sought my ouster; a move coordinated by Mrs Nandini Satpathy, then an MLA. We did enjoy a cordial relationship, but a stray indiscreet remark of mine in an unguarded moment had strained our relationship. The push for my transfer came when there was a move for leadership change. The Chief Minister, Mr J B Pattnaik, who had so far ignored the pleas for my transfer, could not risk antagonizing 6-7 MLAs and had to agree to my transfer.

The news of my transfer was communicated to me through a police wireless message in an interior area; I returned to Dhenkanal and took all required steps to hand over the charge the next day. As my next place of posting had not been indicated, I decided to proceed on leave and go to Pune to meet my parents.

As a matter of courtesy, I called on the Chief Minister at Bhubaneshwar before leaving for Pune. To my surprise, he said he was very sorry that I had to be transferred and asked me to indicate any posting at Bhubaneshwar that I would like to have. I told him that it was his prerogative to transfer me as and when needed. As regards posting, it was the government's call and it was not for me to give preferences. But he insisted. I asked if I could be posted as Director Tribal Welfare. He was surprised to hear that and, in fact, asked me if I was being sarcastic. Far from it, I said, this would be a dream posting for me.

When I returned from the leave, my posting orders as VC CDA had come out. I joined there and then went to call on the Chief Minister, this time as the VC CDA.

"You joined straightaway," he observed. "You were to meet me after returning from leave about your posting."

"The orders were already there, Sir," I said. "So, I joined and have come to call on you."

He told me about the importance the government attached to urban development and about the importance of Cuttack and his expectations from me and so on. I duly nodded.

Cuttack was an old, congested but important city. Bidanasi project conceived quite some time ago was not making much headway. It was a chicken-and-egg situation. The Authority could spend money on infrastructure if there was demand for plots and revenue flow. But people would be inclined to apply and pay for residential plots if a visible and credible infrastructure was in place. My familiarity with urban Maharashtra, and some memory of the urban planning issues learnt during my M Tech, gave me some advantage. I even consulted the great architect B V Doshi in Ahmedabad through my contacts. He patiently spent three hours discussing my plans and giving suggestions. He was quite tickled at my audacious idea of advertising in India Today for the sale of plots in Cuttack. But he was also quite kind and took me out for dinner in Vishala and wished me good luck.

I gambled on spending the available funds on the 100-foot-wide road from the entrance to the end of sector-6. To save time, we also planted one-year-old plants on both sides of the road. These were obtained from the regional plant resources centre. Saving time was more important than saving money. We also got each plot earmarked with a one-foot-tall boundary wall so that an allottee could take ready possession without depending on the mercy of the land section for 'accurate measurement' before handing over the possession. To prevent repeated digging of the road by various 'sovereign' agencies, we kept suitable conduits for all cables connected to each plot to avoid any excuses for digging up the road.

My unorthodox approach reflected a generation gap in the organization. The older, risk-averse members, e.g., Member Engineering or Member Planning, were uncomfortable with the new ideas. I, for example, swapped the purpose of two large plots; one earmarked for a park and another for a school. The plot earmarked for the park was flat in an inner location while the plot for the school was on an undulating patch adjoining the 100-ft-wide road. Logically, the park would benefit from the undulations while the school would have to spend money to get the land levelled. The swapping reduced the cost in both the projects. Likewise, I also pushed for mixed zoning and not segregating the rich and the poor. I got support from the younger and more junior officers while the elderly lot sulked.

My biggest gamble was to advertise the scheme in India Today and all editions of Indian Express and Hindustan Times to enhance the credibility of the scheme. The gamble paid off as many NROs – Non-Resident Odiyas – and MROs – Metro Resident Odiyas, would later tell me. Even those residing in Odisha thought this to be a highly credible offer seeing the advertisement on these platforms. Unsurprisingly, the plot sale was oversubscribed.

I introduced another novelty. The selection of allottees was done through a lottery system, but the lottery would also assign a serial number to each allottee for the given category of plots. The allottees would thereafter select their plots in full public gaze by putting a cross mark on the selected plot on a large map displayed to all participants. The idea of selecting the plots in this fashion came from the IIT-JEE seat selection process. We also allowed people to select their plots together by letting a person drop down in the serial number sequence, but not by moving up. This allowed friends or relatives to select plots in close vicinity.

Another novel idea was for the applicants who could not be present either in person or through any representative. They were given the option to nominate the VC CDA to select the best plot available at their serial no. Many applicants opted for this – a testimony to the credibility we had achieved. One High Court Judge whose serial number was 4, nominated me as his representative with a cryptic instruction: 'select the best available corner plot'. There were 9 corner plots in that category – so he was bound to get one.

The entire allotment process was so transparent and applicant-friendly, that it went in an autopilot mode. I would absent myself sometimes during the allotment sessions but keep track of any difficulty that could arise. On one such occasion, the Governor's carcade happened to be passing by the open ground where the allotment session was being conducted. He was curious to see the crowd and inquired as to what this was about. Someone told him that the plot selection by applicants was going on 'like in engineering college admission'. Hearing this, he got down and actually went to see what was going on. My senior officers were very pleasantly surprised but readily explained the entire process and quite proudly told him about my IIT background, upon which, he said 'no wonder' and asked them to convey his appreciation to me.

Was there no pressure on me for some favours, out-of-turn allotments and the like? It was indeed so, but not from the politicians. I am aware of at least six ministers and Mrs Jayanti Pattnaik, then Member of Parliament, who declined to put in any word because the process was rule-driven, transparent and had not left any discretion 'even to the Vice Chairman himself.' But some senior bureaucrats and one Hon'ble Judge were not so convinced. In their view, I must be having some ace up my sleeve and should be able to 'accommodate' their requests. One conversation with a very senior Secretary went somewhat like this.

"Haan Bhai Agnihotri, how are you?"

"I am fine, Sir, thank you."

"Achchha listen, what is this allotment scheme in Bidanasi you have started? Is it any good, or just taking people for a ride?" A laughter followed this query.

"Why will I take people for a ride, Sir? The scheme is oversubscribed. People have actually visited Bidanasi to see the plotted development for themselves."

"Yes, yes. I heard about that. The wide road, the compound wall and all that. But tell me, why are you charging such a high premium for corner plots and even those adjoining the 100-ft-wide road?"

"Yes, Sir. People have the choice of taking other plots as well, Sir. We are kind of cross-subsidizing the infrastructure."

"Arey, you have become a pucca bania, bhai."

"Yes, Sir. For the CDA, yes."

"Okay, listen. My wife has applied for a plot. We don't have any house in Cuttack. But we want to have a corner plot. How can this be managed?"

"What is Ma'am's lottery serial number, Sir? If it is high up, she will be able to select a corner plot." I was at my innocent best. "People are selecting their plots themselves, based on their lottery serial numbers."

"I know. If we were high up in the list, why should I call you and waste your time? Can't you give a corner plot from your discretionary quota?"

"There is none, Sir. No discretionary quota."

"What do you mean? Arey bhai, you should have kept some discretionary quota. That would save some people from harassment. Why this new-fangled idea? You should just have kept a simple lottery in that case."

"Sorry, Sir. But the die is cast now. I can't do much."

"Okay, okay. Let me talk to the Minister."

"You could, Sir, but we have not kept any discretion, Sir."

He was not the only senior officer to make such a request.

Another phone call came from the PA of an Hon'ble Judge of the High Court and the 'desire' was expressed to have a corner plot. When I inquired about the lottery serial no., it exceeded the number of corner plots by a large margin. I mentioned that it will be difficult to accede to the request as the entire selection would happen in full public gaze. A good plot adjoining the 100-ft-wide road was a feasible option. The PA could himself come and select the best available plot at the given serial number.

I was informed in the afternoon that the 'Lordship' desired to meet me at his residence. I went. After some preliminaries, I was asked to explain this 'new style' of allotting the plots, which I patiently did. Was it really that transparent and foolproof? I believed it was. How is it that I could then allot a corner plot to Justice Swamy? I explained the option of the VC being 'nominated' as the honest representative of any applicant, even a peon working in a remote district like Koraput. Justice Swamy's serial number was 4 and the corner plots were nine. "I selected his plot as his 'nominee' only after the first three allottees had selected their plots, Sir," I emphasized. "In your case, Sir, the serial number is way too low."

"All this is fine. But you must be having some discretion."

"No, Sir, I have not kept any," I replied.

"This is unusual and let me tell you, we have received some complaints about your process. Do you realize we can initiate an inquiry and stay the allotment, even quash your entire lottery method?"

The hot-head within me took over. I left the cup of tea halfway through, folded my hands and said, "I would welcome that, Sir; why wait longer? The inquiry can be initiated today itself, Sir. I am sure we will come clean. May I seek your leave, Sir?"

"Arey, arey, why are you getting so upset? You seem very confident about your procedure. Have your tea at least."

"Some other time, Sir." I left. The 'inquiry' never happened. The PA dutifully selected a plot for the Lordship adjoining the 100-ft-wide road and close to the proposed park location, ascertaining politely from me if there was really no way I could facilitate allotment of a corner plot!

The third case was that of a self-styled 'freedom fighter', who arrived late and then insisted on being allowed to select his plot as per his 'original seniority'. Luckily, we did factor in the late arrival bit, and had clearly laid out that an allottee cannot seek to override the choices already made.

"I am a freedom fighter," he declared.

"I appreciate that, Sir, but that does not allow us to let you override the selection already done. You can select from the available plots now."

"This is wrong. I will complain to Janaki Babu." That was a reference to the Chief Minister.

"Most welcome, Sir. But please do it after selecting a plot. Otherwise, I may be constrained to allot the last available plot to you." He very grudgingly made his choice and went away dissatisfied.

The allotment of over 2800 plots thus happened smoothly. Only three persons remained dissatisfied: a senior colleague, an Hon'ble Judge and a 'freedom fighter'. The process was continued subsequently, I was told. Bidanasi is now a well-developed township. I take the word of my co-passenger for it.

An unexpected bonus came our way, thanks to the idea of planting the one-year-old trees on both sides of the 100-ft-wide road. The ED of LIC visited Cuttack and was wanting to see the place before approving the proposal to buy land for their housing purpose. I sent my Asst Town Planner with him. After coming back to my office, he told me that he had already conveyed his approval for buying a plot for LIC in the new sector.

"The sincerity of the Authority is visible, Sir. A good quality wide road as a spine, and you had the foresight to plant the trees last year even before the road construction began!"

I questioningly looked at the Asst Town Planner. He quietly winked. I nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Mr Gokhale. Really appreciate your remark. How long will it take for the transaction to be completed from LIC's side?"

"Oh, you should be able to get the cheque before the month ends."

It was the first cheque CDA had ever received which crossed Rs one crore. My PA Nishakar Babu informed me, "Sir, some of us have taken a photocopy of the cheque and laminated it to be kept as a souvenir."

It made my day.