n The Bharatiya Bikash Parishad led by its State president Surendra Panigrahi has filed a PIL in the Orissa High Court challenging the illegal fixation of upset price of lands in Mouza Ramagiri under Sheragada Tehsil of Ganjam district.
The property belongs to Lord Gopinath Mahaprabhu Bije, Marfat Hereditary Trustee Mahanta Balamukunda Das, son of late Mahanta Somanath Das Babaji.
Balamukunda Das had earlier filed a petition in the Commissioner of Endowment, Odisha praying therein for sale of the immovable property for the interest of the deity. The lands were recorded in the name of Chaitan Das Babaji, Guru Goura Charan Das Babaji, hereditary trustee of the deity.
The Commissioner after hearing the petitioner and on considering the report of the local Inspector of Endowment had allowed the petitioner to sell only five out of 12 plots by its order dated 28.12.18 by fixing the upset price of those plots at Rs 1 crore per acre with direction that the sale of the land shall be done by public auction by publication in local newspapers and by beating drum.
It was also further directed that the trustee shall first offer to sell the lands to the Government for use by public.
But later, the appellate authority headed by the Revenue Minister, in violation of the Odisha Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1951, permitted the sale of all the 12 plots (total Ac. 3.327 dec) of land hearing an appeal and reduced upset price of the land per acre from Rs 1 crore to Rs 7,70,000.
It also directed the Government to immediately purchase the land for public purpose as the lands are situated in the middle of the town and can be developed in future for public purpose.
Meanwhile, some persons having political nexus are trying to capture the lands. The land is in the middle of the Sheragada Town and the market value of the property is approximately more than Rs 2 crore per acre. Hence, the fixation of upset price at Rs 7, 70,000 is totally illegal, Panigrahi pointed out in the PIL.
The Parishad has made the Secretaries, Revenue and Law Departments; Commissioner Endowment; Collector Ganjam and Tehsildar, Seragada as parties in the PIL.
