Bhubaneswar: To provide prospective buyers additional time, the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) on Saturday announced an extension of the deadline for receiving applications for the Ekamra Residency housing project in Subudhipur by a month, till Nov 30. The earlier deadline was Oct 31.In a notification, the BDA said the deadline had been extended to facilitate participation by eligible applicants and provide prospective buyers additional time to complete the application process.In its report on Oct 28, TOI highlighted the poor response the flagship project received from prospective buyers, which is prompting the authority to consider an extension of the deadline by at least a month.According to sources, from Sept 18 to Oct 31, the BDA received fewer than 200 applications for 496 flats on offer.A BDA official said the extension would provide more time to interested homebuyers to arrange finances, understand the project details and complete the online formalities.“We want maximum participation in the scheme. Several prospective buyers had sought additional time, and the authority has responded positively to those requests,” the official said.The extension comes amid continuing concerns over the affordability of the project. Ekamra Residency apartments are priced between Rs 78.36 lakh and Rs 96.82 lakh, making them among the costliest govt-developed residential units offered by the BDA so far.The authority had also earlier revised certain conditions of the scheme brochure. Following concerns raised over the upfront financial burden on applicants, the BDA decided that the Rs 10,000 application fee would be adjusted against the final payable amount.Earlier, the Rs 10,000 fee was non-refundable.Market observers said the extension won’t make any difference unless BDA reconsiders the pricing of the flats. “The project has good specifications, location advantages and modern amenities. However, affordability remains a concern for many households. “The extension is an opportunity for BDA to improve outreach and reassure buyers who are still evaluating their finances,” real estate observer Sangram Nayak said.