Bhubaneswar: Over the past five years, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority’s (BDA) housing strategy has undergone a significant transformation, moving from relatively affordable apartments targeted at middle-income families to large township-style projects with premium amenities and substantially higher price tags.While the projects have become bigger, taller and more feature-rich, the shift has also raised concerns that large sections of the city’s middle class are gradually being priced out of the market. A comparison of three major BDA housing projects launched at different points in time reveals the change.In 2021, BDA offered 336 2BHK apartments at Paikarapur at prices ranging from Rs 34.48 lakh to Rs 39.05 lakh, with super built-up areas between 1,259 sqft and 1,333 sqft. The project was among the most affordable options available to first-time homebuyers in the capital.Two years later, BDA launched Daya Enclave at Kalinga Nagar’s K9B area. The project comprised 128 2BHK apartments priced between Rs 49.6 lakh and Rs 51.6 lakh. Though the carpet area stood at only 638 sqft, the project offered amenities such as lifts, CCTV surveillance, covered parking, power backup and a community hall.The latest project, Ekamra Residency at Subudhipur, represents BDA’s biggest leap towards the premium segment. It comprises 704 apartments, including 2BHK and 2BHK-plus-study, and the unit prices range from Rs 78.36 lakh for lower-floor 2BHK units to nearly Rs 96.82 lakh for higher-floor 2BHK-plus-study apartments. It has a swimming pool and a gym, among others.The rise in prices has been dramatic. The entry-level BDA apartment that cost about Rs 35 lakh in 2021 now commands nearly Rs 80 lakh, more than doubling within five years. Even the larger Paikarapur flats available at around Rs 39 lakh are significantly cheaper than the smallest units being offered in Ekamra Residency today.Interestingly, while prices have risen sharply, apartment sizes have not. The Paikarapur project offered apartments with super built-up areas exceeding 1,250 sqft. Daya Enclave flats had a carpet area of 638 sqft, while Ekamra Residency’s 2BHK units offer a carpet area of about 665 sqft and the 2BHK-plus-study about 837 sqft.Experts point out that although the carpet area and super built-up area are not directly comparable, the price escalation has been uneven. Urban planners say the trend reflects rising land values, escalating construction costs and changing consumer aspirations in Bhubaneswar.However, they also noted that govt agencies traditionally played a critical role in providing affordable housing options to middle-income groups. “Earlier, BDA projects filled a crucial gap between low-cost housing and expensive apartments. Today, many of its projects are competing directly with private players,” Sangram Nayak, a city-based housing expert, said.With BDA now focusing on large integrated residential communities, residents believe there remains a need for dedicated mid-income projects to ensure that salaried middle-class families are not left behind in the city’s growth story. “The prices have been set as such due to the amenities offered in the project. There will be affordable housing projects in the offing very soon,” a senior BDA official said.