Dr Susant Kumar Kanungo, a native of Jagatsinghpur district and a lawyer in the Supreme Court, has petitioned to the Chief Secretary for carrying out evection works over lands meant for Gochar and graveyard which have been encroached upon by some influential people in Balikuda tehsil area in nexus with the Revenue administration. 

He said that the encroachers have dug ponds and constructed illegal structures, including temples on those lands with impunity as they are enjoying the blessing of the Jagatsinghpur district administration.

“Such activities have been going on with the active support of the Collector- cum-District Magistrate, Jagatsinghpur as well as the Project Director of DRDA, Jagatsinghpur, BDO and Tehsildar, Balikuda,” he alleged.

Besides, he alleged large scale irregularities in the MGNREGS works in Balikuda area. The job card holders have been deprived of work and machines are massively used. Besides, fake muster rolls are made to swindle money, he complained.

The block administration of Balikuda is fully aware of the use of machines in place of employment of people as it is clearing the payments of JCB machine owners, he charged.

Citing the orders of the Supreme Court in Jagpal Singh vs The State of Punjab and others (2011) and  the State of Jharkhand and others vs Pakur Jagaran Manch, Kanungo said these orders have been violated by the Collector of Jagatsinghpur.

He urged the Chief Secretary to treat the complaint in the line of public interest litigation (PIL) and order a Vigilance probe in the matter. He threatened to file a contempt petition for violation of Supreme Court orders against the Jagatsinghpur administration if evictions are not carried out within two weeks. Dr Kanungo also submitted copies of the letter to the Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Member, Board of Revenue, Cuttack, RDC, Central Range, Cuttack and Secretary 5T.