The authorities would start an eviction drive in the Danagadi areas near the industrial hub Kalinganagar of Jajpur district to recover around 50 acre of Government and forest land from the clutches of influential persons, said district Collector SK Mallick.
“At a recent meeting, we have decided to launch massive eviction operations against land mafias who have encroached about 50 acre of forestland in Danagadi. Danagadi block Chairperson latika Ray is also one of the encroachers who built a palatial house over the forestland in Danagadi. We served eviction notices to around 120 encroachers including, Ray, recently to vacate the Government land,” said the Collector. “We need more land for the construction of many upcoming projects. We will not spare any encroachers who are occupying the Government land. We have prepared a list of encroachers and are monitoring the situation daily,” he added.
Danagadi Tehsildar Subash Chandra Nath Sharma said, “The district administration last year recovered around 160 acre of forestland under Danagadi block from illegal possession of former State Chief Secretary Rabindra Narayan Das and his brothers as per the order of the Odisha land Record and Settlement Commissioner.”