Two days after the State Forest Department said it had nothing to do with the controversial land grabbing issue in Ghangapatna area on the outskirts of the city, the Revenue Department on Tuesday said that it had identified about 70 acres of disputed land in the area.
Talking to reporters, Revenue Minister Bijayshree Routray said, “Preliminary inquiries revealed about 70 acres of disputed land in Gangapatna area. Soon all the land will be included in the Government record.” He added that his department will be able to give details about the status of the controversial land only after the investigations are complete.
Earlier, Forest Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh, quoting a report submitted by the Chandaka DFO, had said the land on which a road was constructed illegally was in the possession of the Revenue Department even though it belonged to Chhota Jangal (small forest) kissam (type).The inquiry by the DFO found that a 1.3 km long road had indeed been constructed on the land (plot no 1098) of which 300 metres appeared to have been constructed recently, he said.
“According to the report of the Chandaka DFO, the Khatiyan of the land (Anabadi plot no-614) was published in 1962 and it does not come under the Orissa Forest Act, 1972. But, it does come under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 enacted by the Government of India. Section 2 of the Act clearly says individuals or institutions are required to get prior approval of the Central Government for use of such land for non-forest activities,” the Minister had said.